On July 31 the Concord Monitor reported that replacement of the historic Sewall’s Falls Bridge would begin on August 3, 2015.

The Sewall’s Falls Bridge is a two-span, riveted Pratt through-truss crossing the Merrimack River on Sewall’s Falls Road in Concord, NH. The bridge was designed by John William Storrs, a New Hampshire bridge designer, and constructed in 1915. It replaced a wooden covered bridge and utilizes the granite pier and abutments from that earlier bridge.

In 1988, the Sewall’s Falls Bridge was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

“Sewall’s Falls Bridge is Concord’s last surviving example of a bridge design by New Hampshire’s most eminent bridge engineer of the early twentieth century, a designer who maintained his practice in Concord and served the city in many other ways.” — James Garvin, 2005

The Sewall’s Falls Bridge was permanently closed to vehicular traffic on December 1, 2014. Pedestrians and bicyclists continued to use and enjoy the bridge through July.  The City of Concord maintains a Sewell’s Falls web site showing the progress of the Sewall’s Falls Bridge Project, which is scheduled for completion in December 2016. Mitigating the demolition of the historic bridge, part of the Section 106 review and Memorandum of Agreement with the NH Division of Historical Resources, the old bridge’s history will be presented on a plaque within Sewall’s Falls Park. A small portion of the bridge will also remain on exhibit.

[ Post and photos by Audra Klumb, ’14G ]