The Elizabethton Covered Bridge is a covered bridge over the Doe River in Elizabethton, the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee. The Elizabethton Covered Bridge was constructed in 1882 and connects 3rd Street and Hattie Avenue. Features Structurally, the Elizabethton Covered Bridge contains one span, a covered wooden Howe truss (typically constructed of timber diagonals and iron verticals) that is long. The total length is . The covered bridge contains one traffic lane and a single walkway, while the curb-to-curb width is and the out-to-out width is . The bridge substructure is masonry, stone, and concrete. Each end of the bridge features a projecting truncated gabled roofline. While allowing for pedestrian and bicycle transit over the Doe River, the Elizabethton Covered Bridge is now closed to all motor vehicle traffic. History: "five dollar bridge" As the county seat, Elizabethton grew throughout the 19th century. However, Lynn Mountain hemmed it in to the east and the Watauga River lay to the north. The Doe River flooded often and limited growth to the south. To span westward, to the site of the current downtown, the city would need a bridge over the Doe River. After extensive debate, in 1882 the Carter County Court approved $3,000 for the bridge and $300 for approaches. The court appointed a committee to select a site for the bridge. However, the committee encountered an unexpected problem — the men could not find a qualified contractor to erect the bridge. After county officials were unable to find a bridge contractor, a local doctor, E. E. Hunter, accepted the contract and hired experienced people to work on the bridge. Hunter selected Thomas Matson, who had been an engineer for the narrow gauge East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad as an engineer and architect. Hunter referred to the bridge as his "five dollar bridge" since he made a profit of $5 as contractor. Although logs from a lumber operation and a barn were thrown against the covered bridge and its supports during a disastrous flood in 1901, this was the only major bridge in the area to survive. June covered bridge festival, parades Originating on the side of Roan Mountain, the Doe River eventually flows by the East Side neighborhood in Elizabethton and parallel with Tennessee State Route 67 before passing underneath the historic covered bridge. Connecting 3rd Street to Hattie Avenue, the Elizabethton Covered Bridge, although now closed