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NEWTON FALLS -- Officials from Newton Falls and elsewhere hosted a reopening event Saturday on the deck of the reconstructed Newton Falls Covered Bridge to celebrate the completion of repairs on the historical 1831 structure.
It is the oldest covered bridge in Ohio still at its original location and still in use.
The barricades that prevented anyone from driving through the bridge were removed later Saturday by the county engineer's office, which owns the bridge, said David Lynch, former Newton Falls city manager, who presided over the event.
Joe Cicchillo, an engineering technician for the Trumbull County Engineer's Office, told the audience that the general contractor, Union Industrial Contractors of Ashtabula, "did a fantastic job of preserving this bridge. We know how important it is to this community."
He also praised the companies responsible for the engineering and other aspects of the two-year project that cost $712,000. It was done to correct damage done when a vehicle crashed inside the structure Feb. 10, 2022.
The bridge remained closed for two years.
The county engineer's office oversaw the project because its office is responsible for its maintenance.
The crash damaged seven angled, wooden beams that had to be replaced, including one that was original to the structure, Cicchillo said.
"A conscious effort was made to make sure the repairs were completed to maintain the historical nature and integrity of the structure," Cicchillo said. Before the repairs were made, structures were erected to support the bridge while construction was completed. Round, wooden dowels similar to the original ones were installed to hold the beams in place.
Various parts of the bridge had to be removed before the new beams could be installed, officials have said.
The bridge also was damaged in 2014 when a truck drove through the structure and damaged a scissor truss in the bridge. Another accident happened in 2009 when a vehicle went through the structure and damaged trusses from one end of the bridge to the other.
Connie Smith Talcott, of the Heritage Accord, a nonprofit organization that works toward historic preservation, related some memories dating back many decades.
"Some might remember hearing the school band play for our classrooms as they proudly marched down Bridge Street through the bridge and onto Arlington Field on game day," she said.
"This bridge is important because it is part of my history. It's part of your history. It's part of our history as a community. We have come together to honor the historical significance of the Newton Falls Covered Bridge," she said.
She said the bridge is strong because ice floes that were part of the floodwaters of 1884 "pounded mercilessly against the structure, but failed to do any damage," she said.
She said the "Great Flood of 1913" resulted in the stable belonging to Burt Myers, which was close to the east branch of the Mahoning River, "broke loose, traveled downstream, hit the covered bridge, broke into pieces and it was drawn under the current, causing very little damage to the bridge," she said.
Smith Talcott read a quote from William Murtaugh to explain the reason the county spends so much effort and money on the bridge, saying "Preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over mutual concern for the future.
"Preservation promotes cultural community and identity, maintaining our unique cultural heritage today and for many years to come," she said.
Former Congressman and former Cleveland Mayor Dennis Kucinich also was a speaker. He said Newton Falls is "like a lot of small towns and cities, the backbone of America, the backbone of American values of hard work, of fair play, of faith, of love of country.
"These are principles and values that endure. It was small towns like Newton Falls from which America sprung," Kucinich said.
Barb Gacura of Newton Township, who attended the event with her husband, Bill, said one of her favorite things to do when she worked at the Newton Falls Public Library was take a walk at lunch time near the bridge.
"It's a unique place to take a walk. It's beautiful."
The couple also likes to put in a canoe near the base of the bridge and canoe around the area.
erunyan@tribtoday.com