State Rep. Mike Denham believes making the area's covered bridges a top attraction could save the historic structures for future generations.
To that end, Denham has introduced House Joint Resolution 164, which passed the House by a vote of 96-0 on March 10 and is now before the Senate.
The resolution would put state's 13 covered bridges -- including eight covered bridges in the Buffalo Trace Area Development District -- on display through a covered wooden bridges trail that would be developed by the state and the BTADD.
Bridges in the BTADD include Walcott Covered Bridge in Bracken County, Dover and Valley Pike covered bridges in Mason County, Goddard, Grange City and Ringo's Mill covered bridges in Fleming County, Johnson Creek Covered Bridge in Robertson County and Cabin Creek Covered Bridge in Lewis County.
Other covered bridges are located in Greenup, Washington, Franklin and Bourbon counties.
Made of wood and well over 100 years old, these 13 structures are the last of Kentucky’s more than 700 covered bridges which once blanketed the commonwealth’s landscape before industrialization. Millions of dollars have been spent to restore these bridges, but few know where they are.
"The idea was suggested by the members of the Covered Bridge Authority and the Buffalo Trace Area Development District as well as many citizens throughout the area," Denham said.
Should it be it be enacted, HJR 164 would require the state Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to work with the BTADD to develop a covered wooden bridge trail “to introduce, locate and popularize these historic state shrines in an effort to bring greater numbers of visitors to the area,” according to the legislation.
Organizers of the Kentucky covered wooden bridge trail hope it will bring the same surge in tourism to Kentucky’s covered bridge counties as the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® has brought to the counties and towns that are home to Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries.
Denham said he expects great things for the area should the resolution pass and the covered wooden bridge trail becomes a reality.
Denham said funding used to restore the bridges has dried up, leaving officials looking for revenue sources for upkeep and future repairs or restorations.
“We hope that this trail will generate enough revenue to sustain, repair and maintain these bridges in the future,” he said.
“We think if the Bourbon Trail is any indication, that this will be a resounding success,” he said.
With lots of current interest in nostalgia and a simpler way of life, the time to act on the issue seems optimal, Denham said.
He said "The Bridges of Madison County," in Iowa, popularized by a book and movie, have an "unbelieveable" number of visitors each year. And we have more than they do."
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