Billie Creek Bridge
Built in 1895 by Joseph J. Daniels
Location: Located east of Rockville in Billie Creek Village.
Size: The length of this bridge is 62' +8' +8'. The width is 15' with 12'6" of clearance. It has a Burr Arch 1 span truss. The foundation is cut sandstone, built by J.L. Van Fossen.
Original Cost: $820
Repair/Restoration History: Replaced a bridge that was built by J. A. Britton in 1880.
Bridge History: The Billie Creek Bridge was named for the nickname of the creek. This bridge replaced an earlier one constructed by J.A. Britton in 1880. That bridge is thought to have been an open bridge, which deteriorated rapidly because of lack of covering.
Joseph A. Britton also bid on this bridge. The bids for the superstructure included J.J. Daniels, $820; and J.A. Britton $845.
The abutments were handled separately. They were constructed by J.L. Van Fossen out of cut sandstone. The sandstone was cut and hauled from A.E. Fuel’s quarry less than a mile away.
The Daniels - Van Fossen association continued with the construction of the replacement Roseville Covered Bridge, in 1910. J.P. Van Fossen was the contractor, while J.J, Daniels was purported to be the on site foreman. All three of the Van Fossen Bridges closely resemble the J.J, Daniels bridge patterns, including the "Daniels Arched Portal".
The bridge was on the Pikes Peak, Plank Road, and Ocean to Ocean Road that became US 36. Like the Sim Smith Bridge, it was saved by rerouting the highway and was not destroyed as were Howard, and Hollandsburg bridges.
A tourist attraction was constructed by moving and restoring local historic buildings near the bridge site. Billie Creek Village now includes a historic church, school, general store, governor’s home, barn, and other features. The Beeson Covered Bridge, and the Leatherwood Station Bridge, have been moved near this site.
Today, the Billie Creek Bridge is intermittently opened and closed for traffic control. When closed, school buses must make a detour of over 2 miles on their assigned route. When Billie Creek Village is open during the Covered Bridge Festival, evenings and weekends, the Billie Creek Bridge is usually closed until the overflow parking lot is needed and opened.
Here is a link to Billie Creek Village: ( Billie Creek Village link )
The cache is a micro, which I'm not real fond of but it was the only thing that would work in this location with the amount of tourist the area receives. You can access the cache without paying to get into Billie Creek Village but if you have the time to visit the village, I'm sure you will enjoy it. Please hide the cache as well or better than you found it. There is a Sacagawea dollar in the cache for the first one to find. Also, don't forget to bring your own pen.