Concord Covered Bridge Historic District When the East-West Connector opened in 1997 between Smyrna and Austell Road, the new road was built close enough to the historic covered bridge to have an adverse affect on the district. The road project faced opposition, but not enough to stop it. However, the opposition did result in efforts to make the road fit in better with the area, and the new road was built limited-access throughout the district. The Concord Covered Bridge Historic District includes part of the East-West Connector, the Silver Comet Trail along the old railroad that passed near the bridge and of course the covered bridge itself. The area is very scenic where Nickajack Creek drops into a gorge headed to the Chattahoochee River nearby. Historic homes and remains of a stone mill are in the area, and a wooden one-lane bridge crosses the Silver Comet Trail within feet of a high tressle on the trail. The pictures below cover all of the interesting features in the area on not only the roads, but also the rail trail. All photos below by J.T. Legg taken January 11, 2006 unless otherwise indicated. |
 | Here
is the famous Concord Covered Bridge, one of the few surviving in Georgia. What
is especially unique about this bridge is that it is deep in the heart of the
suburbs within 10 miles of downtown Atlanta. Most bridges like this were long
since replaced outside of rural area. |
 | Looking
at the bridge itself. It's dark, it has a wooden bridge deck with running boards,
it's one-lane. That is what it takes to have an authentic covered bridge (sorry,
Rockdale County). When we consider building new covered bridges, building them
like they were originally is a must. Even with it authentic, note the amount of
safety features applied here: the steel beams with the barracade tape to stop
overheight vehicles and the steel guardrails within the bridge. |
 | In
addition to the enhancements inside, GDOT figured the piers were not enough to
secure it safely and added two concrete piers on each side of the stone pier in
the center. An unfortunate enhancement, it was needed to preserve the structural
integrity of the bridge. Seriously it would have been best if these had been at
least hidden with stone. |
 | Further
east and westbound, this interesting sign greets travelers approaching the bridge
from both directions. Note the one-lane bridge in the background. This bridge
precedes the covered bridge and crosses over an abandoned railroad that is now
the popular Silver Comet Trail. Photo taken December 9, 2005. |
 | Here
is a closer look at the overpass. The sun was a bit strong, and pictures will
be taken in the future that will better show the structure. The entire structure
is an authentic creosote coated wooden bridge aside from the rust-coated guardrails
that were added to it. Photo taken December 9, 2005. |
 | Now
on trail level and looking east, you can see the bridge. Cars crossing it make
an interesting racket as they rumble across the wood boards and the metal pegs
holding them in place. Straight ahead you will eventually cross the East-West
Connector. Behind me is a high tressle that is now a fascinating part of the trail. |
 | Walking
down a steep unmarked trail, I took these side shots of the tressle. When it was
abandoned in 1985, the tressle was silver coated, but has since been painted green
as seen here. |
 | A
closer look at the tressle with a swift part of Nickajack Creek flowing below
it. Note the wooden railing that protects bikers and pedestrians from falling
into the gorge. When this was a railroad tressle there was no railing. |
 | A
slight side view of the tressle from up top looking west. |
 | Here
is a full view of the trail crossing the tressle looking westbound. The covered
bridge is to the left only a short distance away. The tressle here crosses both
Nickajack Creek and Covered Bridge Road, which connects to Concord Road at the
covered bridge. |
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