The Columbia Bridge stands in southeastern Lemington and northwestern Columbia, both rural communities in the northern parts of their respective states. It carries Columbia Bridge Road between United States Route 3 in New Hampshire and Vermont Route 102 in Vermont. It is in a rural agricultural setting, and is oriented northwest-to-southeast across the Connecticut River, on abutments of dry laid stone that have been faced in concrete. It is a wood-iron Howe truss design, with a single span that is 146 feet (45 m) long. The bridge has a total width of 20.5 feet (6.2 m) and a roadway with of 15.5 feet (4.7 m), and an internal clearance of 13 feet (4.0 m). The exterior is sheathed in vertical board siding, which extends a short way into each portal to protect the truss ends. The siding on the north side rises to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m), leaving an open space between it and the gabled roof.[3]
The bridge was built by Charles Babbitt in 1912, replacing one destroyed by fire the previous year, and is the third to stand on the site. The bridge is considered to be one of the last built in either state during the historic period of covered bridge construction.[3] It was rehabilitated by the state of New Hampshire in 1981 at a cost of $143,000.
