Located three miles west of Covington, the Humpback Bridge in Alleghany County is the oldest of seven covered bridges still standing in Virginia. It’s also one of two remaining cambered and covered wooden bridges in the United States. For over 163 years, the bridge endured catastrophic floods, fires, and decay. These elements have destroyed all other covered bridges in this region of the Shenandoah Valley. Its last brush with destruction occurred in September 2016, when the bridge again survived raging floodwaters. The current structure was erected in 1857 from hand-hewn…