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Help arrives for historic Goddard bridge

By DANETTA BARKER Staff Writer

Thursday, March 10, 2005 7:40 PM EST

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GODDARD -- Trucks pulled up to the Goddard Covered Bridge early Thursday morning to unload construction materials.

The historic bridge is getting a face-lift, compliments of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

Three trucks from Intech Construction, Inc. brought concrete barriers and other supplies that will be needed for placing cribbing under the bridge. Tom Fitzgerald said 32 barriers will be used to support the span during restoration. Concrete will be poured to hold the cribbing in place.

"The bridge will be lifted by the roof," Fitzgerald said. "Then set back on the cribbing."

The process will be completed by next week. Covered bridge restoration experts Dave Fishetti and Arnold Graton will be on site later in the month.

Steve Donovan, chair of the Buffalo Trace Covered Bridge Authority, said Graton will be at the bridge when the first board is removed. Donovan was instrumental in bringing the experts to Fleming County to inspect the county's three covered bridges. While in the area, Fishetti, Graton and Tim Andrews inspected other covered bridges in the five-county Buffalo Trace area.

Workers from Intech Construction, Inc. begin work on the restoration of the Goddard Covered Bridge. Controversy over the restoration of the bridge began nearly two years ago when citizens of Fleming County voiced their disagreement with the proposed dismantling of the historic span. Brian Hitch/Staff photographer

The controversy over the restoration of the bridge began nearly two years ago when citizens of Fleming County attended a public hearing at Ward Elementary School. Residents voiced their disagreement with the proposed dismantling of Goddard Covered Bridge. Since that time the cabinet has worked with the Kentucky Heritage Council and the regenerated Buffalo Trace Covered Bridge Authority to find a solution to the restoration that is agreeable to everyone.

In August 2003, the Transportation Cabinet, Intech and Kentucky Heritage Council agreed with the people of the county and went back to the drawing table. Intech was given the option of pulling out of the project or working with restoration experts. The company chose to work with Fishetti and Graton.

The bridge is the only one in the county that is still open to traffic and is also the only example of the Ithiel Town Lattice design still standing in the state.

In 1968, Stockton Bower, whose father and grandfather built bridges, was the last craftsman to work on the bridge.

It is not known exactly when the bridge was built or by whom, but it was moved from its original site on Kentucky 32 when that road was made into what was called the "concrete highway" to its current site just off Kentucky 32 in Goddard.

Mike Goins, who handles public information for the Transportation Cabinet, said the project is very important to the community, not only in tourism, but also in preserving the past.

"It is very important we maintain and preserve the transportation past of Kentucky," Goins said. "We appreciate the work of the Kentucky Heritage Council on this project."

Contact Danetta Barker at Danetta.Barker@lee.net or call 606-564-9091, ext. 272.

For more Fleming County news go to www.flemingsburg-online.com

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