Historic Bells Mills Bridge reopens after repairs

The historic Bells Mills Bridge reopened last week after repairs were made to the wooden decking that was damaged by hot embers.

Westmoreland County engineer Vaughn Neill said the damage on the covered bridge wasn’t as bad as expected. Workers pulled off pieces of the decking after firefighters found smoke and smoldering wood inside the bridge on July 31.

“Until we started removing stuff … I wasn’t sure how much,” he said.

The county’s last covered bridge connects South Huntingdon and Sewickley townships. It was built in 1850 over Sewickley Creek. Firefighters believe a cigarette may have been the culprit. A softball-sized hole in the bridge decking prompted the closure.

Neill said the repairs were a minimal cost — the county keeps the timber pieces on hand that are used in the decking.

“It was a day’s work,” he said. “I’m glad it wasn’t any more severe.”

The bridge was closed for a few hours Tuesday as county crews cleaned it off.

Township supervisor Brian Merdian praised the county’s quick work to get the landmark back in service.

“A lot of people use it,” he said. “It’s a very important artery, it’s a very important piece of infrastructure.”

The bridge is 95 feet long and 14 feet wide, according to documents filed with the National Register of Historic Places. Bells Mills Bridge was added to the register in 1980. The county completely rebuilt it eight years later.

The bridge is unusual in that it has an architectural style — Greek Revival with a Burr arch truss, according to historic records. The structure was named for the Bell brothers, who operated a nearby gristmill in the 19th century.

The bridge was repaired in 2019, after a few pieces of wooden railing were ripped off supports and an end post that holds up the roof was hit by a vehicle.

A 2009 fire on the bridge damaged a 6-foot section of siding that later was replaced. A fresh coat of paint was applied during a 2012 maintenance project.