Pomeroy project is complete

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What: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in celebration of the completion of the Pomeroy-Academia Covered Bridge Rehabilitation Project

When: 10 a.m. June 5

Where: At the bridge between Beale and Spruce Hill townships

For more information: Visit the Juniata County Historical Society's Web site at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pajchs/index.html.

ACADEMIA - The restoration project for Pennsylvania's longest remaining covered bridge was completed last month, after about eight years of planning and work.

The Pomeroy-Academia Covered Bridge, which crosses Tuscarora Creek in Juniata County, was inspected in fall 2001 by P. Joseph Lehman, Inc., Consulting Engineers. The inspection was done to see what kind of work and repairs were needed, said Terry Wheeler, president of the Juniata County Historical Society.

The inspection uncovered that some of the bridges' beams were damaged. In addition, damage from termites and powder post beetles was found, Wheeler said.

A cost estimate and comprehension plan for the restoration, as well as the application process for funding opportunities, was done by P. Joseph Lehman, Inc., according to the Juniata County Historical Society's Web site.

Before the bridge could be dismantled to begin the restoration process, money had to be raised to fund the project, so the historical society held various fundraisers, Wheeler said.

"We had to come up with pre-construction monies," he said.

Besides the fundraisers, pre-construction money also came from a Keystone Preservation grant of $70,000 from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, a Pennsylvania Department of Economic and Community Development grant of $34,000 and a loan of $47,000 through the Infrastructure Bank, Wheeler said.

Then, the dismantling of the bridge began in April 2008. Construction costs for the project were funded by TEA 21, or the Transportation Enhancement Act of the 21st Century. Half of that funding came from SEDA-Council of Governments enhancement money, and the other half was through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Wheeler said.

After the dismantling, it was discovered that more work needed to be done, so the project was put on hold until additional funding was received, Wheeler said.

"They found that there was more damage than they thought," he said.

The additional funding came from SEDA-COG, Wheeler said.

Orders had to be put in for new materials. Some of the materials needed included those used for new siding and a new roof. Some of the old materials that could be salvaged also were used in the restoration, Wheeler said.

The bridge was sprayed with fire retardant and treated with insecticide, and then the reassembling began this past March, Wheeler said.

The project was finished in April, with the final inspection on April 27, Wheeler said.

He said two of the main reasons the historical society decided the bridge needed to be maintained was because it is the longest remaining covered bridge in Pennsylvania, and because it is one of the few remaining double-span bridges.

Wheeler said the bridge's project will help tourism, and he hopes people will visit the area to see the bridge now that it has been restored.

"It has historical significance as well," he said.

It is unknown when the first bridge at Academia was built or by whom, but in 1901, Juniata County Commissioners met at the site of the Pomeroy Bridge, found it unsafe and closed it to the public. That same year, construction plans were confirmed for the bridge. In 1902, a resolution was passed by the commissioners to rebuild the bridge, according to the historical society's Web site.

The one-lane bridge was built with a double span, an overall length of 278 feet, and a width of almost 18 feet. The Juniata County Commissioners accepted the Pomeroy Bridge in 1903, and it was used by the Pennsylvania Highway system until 1962. That summer, a new bridge was under construction and the Pomeroy Bridge was slated for demolition. The Juniata County Historical Society voted to assume responsibility for the bridge. The society was able to save the bridge with the help of the county commissioners, the site states.

The bridge provided easy access for farmers to the mill, as well as access to the village of Academia. For more information, visit the historical society's Web site at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pajchs/index.a.