The beloved covered bridge at McConnells Mill State Park is back.

And it's better than ever, according to Lawrence County engineer Ross Taylor.

The 130-year-old bridge was damaged by a fallen tree during a storm March 5. Lone Pine Construction Inc., of Bentleyville, Washington County, completed restoration of the historic bridge late last month.

"The job came out beautifully. [The company] made an effort to replicate the original construction details of the bridge as closely as possible, and we were very pleased with the work," said Taylor, of Frank B. Taylor Engineering in New Castle, Lawrence County.

The work included covering the entire roof with slate-colored shingles. "We decided to change all the shingles so they match, and that's one of the first things you see. It makes a big difference, and [the roof] looks better than it did before," Taylor said.

Lawrence County owns the bridge, and the restoration was a priority for the county commissioners. Their efforts were applauded by Tom Walczak, president of the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania, which has more than 500 members nationwide.

"This is the gem of Lawrence County," said Walczak, who lives in nearby New Castle and stopped to check on the progress of the work. "Anything that can be done to enhance the bridge will showcase the county."

McConnells Mill and the covered bridge are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and McConnells Mill State Park is also known as a National Natural Landmark.

"Our goal was to try to put it back to as close to what it was originally," said Dan Proch, Lone Pine vice president. "We want to maintain its historic quality."

To that end, Proch ordered the lumber from a company in Ohio and custom-cut each piece to the correct size and shape. The process was delayed when Proch had trouble finding premium Eastern white pine sheeting, which is used for siding and also is placed under the roof.

The company also did restoration work on the bridge in 1998, Taylor said. Repairing covered bridges has become a specialty of Lone Pine.

Proch said the company has worked on about 10 bridges in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

"It's not your ordinary job," he said. "You have to piece-mark everything you remove and make a sketch so you can put the pieces back in the same spot or replace damaged pieces with new ones. The first few bridges we worked on were a struggle, but once you do it a few times, you [learn]."

A century ago, bridge builders did the best they could with hand tools, but their methods make putting a bridge back together today much like working on a big puzzle.

"Things aren't all matched up, but they did a beautiful job, and the workmanship was top-shelf," Proch said.

At one time, Lawrence County may have had as many as 20 covered bridges, but only two have survived the century, Walczak said.

"They were known as 'wishing bridges' or 'kissing bridges,' " Walczak said. "And sometimes robbers would hide in the rafters. A lot of hanky-panky went on in covered bridges."

In the late 1950s, the state tried to get rid of covered bridges because they couldn't handle heavy trucks, Walczak said. "There was no preservation."

"All covered bridges have been damaged," Proch said, "especially those located in farm country. Oftentimes, farmers would come through with hay wagons and tractors and break the bracing."

The bridge at McConnells Mill, which sits at a 90 degree angle across Slippery Rock Creek, has been hit by cars trying to make the bend that leads into it. "They take a lot of impact," said Proch, adding that other common problems include vandalism, fire and neglect.

"This bridge has always been well cared for," he said.

Built in 1875 with 91 feet of clear span -- the length between the bridge supports -- the covered bridge has a 12-ton weight limit and has the distinction of being one of only four Howe truss bridges still standing in Pennsylvania. Walczak said most of Pennsylvania's covered bridges were constructed using a Burr truss.

The Howe truss, developed by William Howe in 1840, refers to the arrangement of the timbers along the side of the bridge that make up its main weight-supporting structure. "It's like a series of wooden X's," Walczak explained, and uses steel or iron rods for additional support.

"At that time, [the Howe truss] was a significant advantage to builders because it allowed them to use green lumber, which could be tightened a couple of years later to make the bridge more sturdy."

Initially used for railroad bridges, the Howe truss was a revolutionary method of bridge building and lends a unique quality to the McConnells Mill bridge. The more common Burr truss uses triangular supports placed between two arches.

Taylor said that repairs to the bridge, which were not covered by insurance, will total about $100,000. They will be paid for out of the county's liquid fuels fund, he said. In May, the covered bridge society donated $1,000 to county commissioners for repairing the bridge.

Visitors to the park often expressed disappointment at not being able to go onto the bridge all summer, said Lone Pine employee Don Rullo, but Walczak said the incident had a bright side.

"This gave people who visited [McConnells Mill] the chance to see work being done on a covered bridge. It was an educational opportunity."

The chance to watch the dozen or so workers rebuild the damaged portion of the bridge just as their predecessors would have done more than a hundred years ago drew more than the casual observer.

"People come from all over the country, and even the world, to look at [the bridge] and take pictures," Rullo said. "Every time [we were accessible], a half-dozen people would ask us or tell us something about it."

A veteran bridge worker, Rullo said working on the McConnells Mill bridge was not only an interesting job but sometimes a moving experience as he replaced timbers bearing carvings that date to the early 1900s.

"It's something that's unique to work on," Rullo said. "Unlike other jobs, [working on a covered bridge] is more exciting and definitely keeps your interest because there's so much history behind it."