Travelers on Barley Mill Rd. near Mt. Cuba Center will notice signs stating the road will be closed to the north of our entrance. This is necessary to make renovations to the historic bridge that crosses over Barley Mill Rd.
The closures are scheduled from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm on weekdays between February 22-26, March 1-5, and March 15-19, 2021. Travelers may also experience delays on weekdays due to single-lane closures between March 1-31, 2021. We encourage you to follow other routes and allow for additional travel time during single-lane closures.
Weather permitting, all work should be completed and the road will reopen by March 31, 2021.
Restoration of the bridge will give guests access to more than two miles of new scenic trails throughout Mt. Cuba’s natural lands, which extend to the west of Barley Mill Rd. We are excited to welcome guests to use these trails and explore the gardens later this spring! For safety reasons, accessing the trails throughout Mt. Cuba’s lands is only permitted during our regular visitation season, April through November.
If you are traveling southbound to Mt. Cuba, please consider using one of the alternate routes below. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Alternate Directions
From Rt. 48 via Brackenville Rd:
- At the Brackenville/Barley Mill Rd. intersection, take a slight left onto Barley Mill Rd. to go through the covered bridge.
- At the stop sign, turn right onto Creek Rd (Rt. 82 South)
- After 1.3 miles, continue straight onto Mt. Cuba Rd.
- After .4 miles, turn right to cross the bridge and stay on Mt. Cuba Rd.
- Turn right onto Barley Mill Rd. (Mt. Cuba’s entrance will be on the right in .6 miles)
From Creek Rd (Rt. 82 South):
- Instead of turning right onto Barley Mill Rd., remain on Creek Rd (Rt. 82).
- After 1.3 miles, continue straight onto Mt. Cuba Rd.
- After .4 miles, turn right to cross the bridge and stay on Mt. Cuba Rd.
- Turn right onto Barley Mill Rd. (Mt. Cuba’s entrance will be on the right in .6 miles)
Bridging History
The bridge was relocated from the bottom of Hillside Mill Rd. in April 1970, linking Mt. Cuba to the former Red Clay Reservation, which is now sprawling natural lands maintained by Mt. Cuba. The Copelands installed the bridge to allow people to cross and access both spaces safely.