Lawrence County steel bridge stolen

A bandit, or possibly several, has stolen a privately owned steel bridge from a secluded area in Lawrence County.

The Covert's Crossing bridge in North Beaver Township has been in the area since at least the early 1900s, according to the Lawrence County Historical Society.

State police suspect someone used a torch to tear apart the bridge, which was worth an estimated $100,000, sometime between Sept. 27 and Wednesday.

"I couldn't believe it," said Gary Bruce, a spokesman for New Castle Development, the company that owns the bridge, which was 50 feet long and 20 feet wide. "It's a lot of work."

Mr. Bruce said members of a nearby business infrequently used the bridge to transport materials and have another road they can use in its absence. He said he hadn't been on the bridge in about a month and reported the theft to state police after a neighbor told him it was missing.

New Castle Development had recently decided to close the bridge to the public because someone in the area had been stealing copper, Mr. Bruce said.

State police did not release descriptions of suspects in the theft, and the investigating officer was not available for comment Thursday night. Mr. Bruce said he has no idea who would have stolen the bridge.

Some people in Lawrence County believe Covert's Crossing might be haunted. The historical society, in a video about haunted spots in the county, says some residents claim that a beautifully dressed woman haunts the bridge on prom night.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call state police in New Castle at 724-598-2211.