The West Liberty Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that carries West Liberty Street across Cowles Creek in Geneva, Ohio. At 18 feet, it has been called the shortest covered bridge in the United States. The bridge, one of 17 drivable covered bridges in the county, was designed by John Smolen, former Ashtabula County Engineer and the designer of the Smolen–Gulf Bridge, the longest covered bridge in the U.S., also in Ashtabula County.

Conceived in 2007, the bridge project proceeded in 2008 when the Ohio Public Works Commission supplied a grant for its construction. The crossing used to be over a concrete culvert. When the culvert needed repairs, it was decided to replace it with a covered bridge, because it would be cheaper (or at least comparable, at $400,000) and also would add to the tourism created by Ashtabula County's other covered bridges.

The foundation for the bridge was laid in September 2010, with the bridge assembly starting the following month. About 60 students from the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School (now Ashtabula County Technical and Career Campus, or A-Tech) in nearby Jefferson Township contributed their labor, further defraying the costs.

The bridge opened to traffic on August 22, 2011. It was dedicated on October 8, 2011. It has footpaths on both sides that are protected from road traffic.

With a clearance of 15 feet, its design is one of a kind. The structure is supported by a single Kingpost and its roof is a Scissor Truss which gives the bridge a lighter, open feeling. The roof has a more pronounced slope than a typical timber-covered bridge. This, along with the extended overhangs, eaves, and rakes, gives the bridge a floating appearance. The bridge includes a toll keeper booth to remind visitors of pioneer days when travelers often had to pay for the privilege of crossing a bridge. The timber for the bridge was donated from locally grown timber.

Smolen explains that there’s a reason covered bridges were once the most reliable way to protect vital crossings. “First off, salt doesn’t harm wood, generally speaking,” he says. “We know what it does to steel. Wood is also lightweight, a renewable resource, and naturally absorbs impact, whereas the rigidity of other building materials must be compensated for in a bridge’s design. With wood, you’re exempt from having to take that penalty,” Smolen says. “And it’s aesthetically pleasing.”

Located at:  N41 47.950    W80 56.911     -     WGCB #35-04-P

Photographed in May of 2022