Blount County is currently taking steps to preserve its three historic covered bridges, after years and use have taken their toll.

The Blount County Commission months ago closed traffic through two of the bridges, have posted new signage and and have hired staff to monitor and care for them.

“We are in the process of sprucing them up,” Blount County Probate Judge Chris Green said.

“We welcome anyone to come and walk on the bridges and take pictures. We want very much to preserve what we have for the enjoyment of generations to come.”

The three covered bridges are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There’s Horton Mill Bridge, over the Little Warrior River off Alabama 75, which was the first Southern covered bridge to be added to the register.

It is the highest covered bridge above any U.S. waterway. The original structure was built in built in 1894, and the existing bridge was completed 40 years later.

Swann Bridge, over Locust Fork off Alabama 79, the longest existing historic covered bridge in the state at 324 feet, was built around 1933.

And the Easley Bridge, over Dubs Branch off U.S. 231, is the oldest and shortest of three bridges, dating from 1927.

The county restored the bridges several years ago to support traffic, provided drivers abided by a three-ton weight limit.

However, last year Horton Mill and Swann were closed to traffic after several incidents.

“While we did not want to make that decision, we did it for the longevity of the bridges,” Green said.

According to The Blount Countian, the driver of a box truck in 2021 ignored the bridge’s warning signs dealing with clearance and drove through Swann Covered Bridge, damaging both sides. It was the third time in the span of a few months that a large vehicle had damaged the bridge.

The county has also spent more than $30,000 on repairs to both Swann and Horton Mill covered bridges from graffiti and damage.

“We know consistently the three-ton limit was exceeded by the public,” Green said. “That’s detrimental to the bridges. They weren’t built for the kind of vehicle traffic that they were beginning to have on them.”

Green said all three bridges are open to pedestrian traffic, while Easley bridge is still open to vehicles.