Another day, another close call for Cobb County’s historic covered bridge.
Cobb County said a small bus crashed into a metal beam protecting the Concord Road covered bridge just south of the East-West Connector.
Cobb County spokesman Ross Cavitt said a witness sent the county a photo and video of the collision, which occurred around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Cobb police are trying to track down the owner of the bus, he said.
“The driver turned around and left,” Cavitt said.
The county closed Concord Road Thursday morning to repair the metal beam installed to protect the bridge after the vehicle "slightly dislodged a support connection," its Facebook page said.
“While crews are there they are also working on the wooden deck of the bridge for some unrelated work,” the county told its Facebook followers. “In the coming weeks, we hope to have some exciting news about a new method designed to keep over-height vehicles off that section of Concord Road.”
Cavitt said it costs the county between $300 and $500 to make repairs every time a driver decides to test fate and ends up losing. The driver’s insurance company usually get the bill, however.
“This hit might be more expensive,” he added.
The March 20 incident is the second one this week, the third one this year and the 17th hit in about 18 months, the county said.
The bridge escaped damage Monday when a U-Haul truck crashed into the metal beam as it was determined to drive through the 145-year-old piece of history.
Cobb DOT officials responded to the scene to tend to the metal beam and officers also cited the driver, the county added.
READ | Explore the history and beauty of Georgia's covered bridges
Cobb's covered bridge experienced about two weeks of bliss at the start of 2019 until Jan. 16 when the driver of a large truck thought there was enough clearance to smoothly pass through without incident. That proved to be a bad calculation, as the truck was stopped in its tracks by the metal beam.
Cobb County moved to save this rare piece of history when it installed metal beams as part of an $800,000 taxpayer-funded rehabilitation in December 2017.
The county previously said on Facebook that the beams, which look like giant staples, indicate the seven-foot height limit but have been "treated rudely over the past year."
They were replaced in late October after being rammed by too many vehicles, which is notable because that is what they're built to do. Drivers are usually fined no more than $500.
The county has released a video about the bridge, and why the flashing warning signs are ignored drivers who are believe their vehicles can smoothly pass through the structure.
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