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Waterford or Niemeyer Road, Erie County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

If you would like to provide information on covered bridges that no longer exist from your state, or adopt a state to work on, we would certainly welcome your assistance. Please contact Trish Kane for more information.

Inventory Number: PA/38-25-04
County: Erie County
Township: Waterford
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Waterford or Niemeyer Road
Crosses: LeBoeuf Creek
Truss type: Town
Spans: 1
Length: 86'
Roadway Width: 15'
Built: c1875
Builder: Charles and James Phelps
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N41 56.465
Longitude: W079 57.802
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 0.5 miles north of PA97 on US19, then right 0.35 miles on East 1st St. (becomes Niemeyer Rd.) 2 miles southeast of Waterford.

Waterford or Wattsburg Road Bridge, Waterford, Erie County, PA. Built c1875
Richard Donovan / Trish Kane Collection

Waterford or Wattsburg Road Bridge, Waterford, Erie County, PA. Built c1875
Bill & Jenn Caswell Photo, September 21, 2018

Waterford or Wattsburg Road Bridge, Waterford, Erie County, PA. Built c1875
G. Chaplin Photo, July 10, 1986, NSPCB Archives

Waterford or Wattsburg Road Bridge, Waterford, Erie County, PA. Built c1875
Bill Caswell Photo, February 2009

Comments:
This bridge goes by many names. In addition to Waterford or Niemeyer Road, it is also known as the Brotherton Bridge and Old Kissing Bridge. The National Register nomination form lists the construction date as 1875, the architect as Richard Cross and builders as Charles & James Phelps. The bridge was closed due to structural concerns in May 2011. Repairs and rehabilitation had been attempted many times over the years but were delayed as costs of materials and labor increased faster than additional funding could be secured. Continuing decay of the span also added to the complexity of the project and prompted additional cost increases. The work was contracted to Chivers Construction Company, of Fairview, PA, at a cost of $3,473,690 and funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The bridge was dismantled and removed in the fall of 2023. New abutments were constructed and new steel I-beams were added to support the structure. Reconstruction of the wooden span began in the spring of 2024. The trusses were raised on September 17, 2024 and a metal roof was installed by early October. The bridge was opened to traffic on November 7th with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 15, 2024. A protective barrier was installed to minimize risk of damage due to oversize trucks and the clearance posted as 10’-0”.

Sources:
Evans, Benjamin D. & June R.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges, 2001, page 131
Moll, Fred J.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges - Our Heritage, 2004, pages 12, 98-99
Kipphorn, Thomas. Information received by email, June 2008
Kipphorn, Thomas. Information received by email, May 2008
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 112

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