On a lighter note - 111 yr. old Vermont bridge collapses from snowmobile fire

[underpants]

30 second video

Historic Vermont covered bridge collapses after snowmobile fire

The River Road Covered Bridge in Troy, VT collapsed into the Missisquoi River on February 6, 2021 after a broken-down snowmobile set it on fire. (Photo courtesy Vermont State Police)

In an email, Vermont State Police wrote that a group of snowmobilers was crossing the River Road Covered Bridge in Troy, Vermont, around 11 a.m. when one of the sleds broke down and caught fire. The driver failed at dousing the flames using snow.

The Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit was called in to investigate. State police say the remains of the bridge itself will be removed by heavy equipment at a later date.

The River Road Covered Bridge was built in 1910 to carry Veilleux Road across the river. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

https://www.news10.com/news/vt-news/historic-vermont-covered-bridge-collapses-after-snowmobile-fire/

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I love covered bridges. This is too bad.

[soothsayer]

2. That sucks

[Solly Mack]

3. That's bad. :(

[Thomas Hurt]

4. That sucks, hopefully they salvage most of it and rebuild it or use the salvage in a new bridge.

[CurtEastPoint]

5. What's the 'lighter note' here? It's a tragedy caused by yahoos on snowmobiles.

[relayerbob]

7. That's what I was thinking

[underpants]

9. I was being sarcastic

Just a joke.

[Submariner]

6. It can be easily replaced with local timber

using the same design. The granite foundations are not damaged.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. How awful!

[Vinca]

10. Now I hate snowmobiles twice as much.

I love the covered bridges. I'd never seen this one, but it's a real shame. Maybe it can be restored somehow.

[cwydro]

11. Oh, that's sad.

I hope they reconstruct it.

[dem4decades]

12. What are the chances that snowmobile had any insurance coverage?

[Totally Tunsie]

13. What a shame! Hopefully, they'll rebuild.

(Wish the same could be said of NH's Old Man of the Mountain that collapsed on May 3, 2003.)

[flotsam]

14. It's actually a big loss

There's only one or two companies left that know that field of "retro-technology" and timbers that large and long cost like plutonium these days. Even if the state gets involved they are more likely to go with a more modern and cheaper design.

[Liberal In Texas]

15. It's too bad these relics are still being used for modern day traffic.

They will all be destroyed like this with the wear and tear or accidents sooner or later.

Nobody want to spend the money, but a modern bridge should be constructed next to covered bridges and the traffic rerouted. The covered bridge could still be used for pedestrian traffic and could have something park-like on either end.