Welcome to 2019! Someone almost destroyed Cobb’s covered bridge

Someone nearly destroyed the historic Concord Road Covered Bridge on Jan. 9, 2019, the first of the year.

Credit: Cobb County Government

Credit: Cobb County Government

Someone nearly destroyed the historic Concord Road Covered Bridge on Jan. 9, 2019, the first of the year.

New year, new hit.

For the first time in 2019, someone has nearly destroyed the Concord Road Covered Bridge near Smyrna.

A U-Haul truck struck the seven-foot-high yellow metal beams protecting the bridge on Wednesday night. Drivers of U-Hauls are common offenders.

READHit after hit, is historic Concord Road Covered Bridge worth keeping?

The beam was bent, said Cobb County spokesman Ross Cavitt. The beams, which look like giant yellow staples, were replaced in late October because of being rammed by too many motor vehicles while protecting the bridge, which is what they're built to do.

This is the 14th time since December 2017, when taxpayers spent $800,000 rehabbing it. That means that, even with the beams and flashing signs, the bridge is averaging more than one near-strike a month.

It has spanned the Nickajack River for more than 145 years and is in the National Register of Historic Places.

The last near-miss was Dec. 21.

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