Historic Covered Bridge Damaged In Cherry Hill Crash

CHERRY HILL, NJ — The Scarborough Covered Bridge on Covered Bridge Road in Cherry Hill was damaged when a truck slammed into it on Tuesday, police said.

The bridge, which is believed to be one of only two covered bridges still in use in New Jersey, was undergoing repairs caused by the bridge's age when the crash occurred at about 9 a.m. Tuesday.

"There was some visible damage to newly replaced sections of the bridge," Cherry Hill Police Chief Robert Kempf told Patch. "We are awaiting engineering to determine the plan for repair to this new damage."

Preserve Barclay, a Cherry Hill organization dedicated to preserving the historic and aesthetic nature of the area and keeping traffic on Covered Bridge Road to a minimum, posted on its Facebook page that it was "saddened" to hear of the crash.

"Once again, the Scarborough Covered Bridge has been hit and damaged by a truck," the group wrote on its Facebook page.

"It is disturbing to imagine what might happen if a super Wawa with 16 gas dispensers opens in the Barclay Farms Shopping Center, when cut-through traffic is already a known issue that will only be exacerbated if the application is approved," the group continued.

The name of the driver whose truck hit the bridge, his or her medical condition, nor any citations or charges he or she might face as a result of the crash were not immediately released.

Covered Bridge Road was closed for most of Tuesday and into Wednesday as a result of the crash, police said. It was still closed as of about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to Preserve Barclay.

There was no immediate information available on when the bridge and road might reopen.

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