By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff
WALPOLE — New Hampshire isn’t the only state frustrated by the
lack of funding available to repair its roads and bridges.
The Vermont Agency of
Transportation, after waiting nearly five years for the N.H. Department of
Transportation to act, has made an offer to the New Hampshire agency to pay for
the entire rehabilitation — and subsequently the reopening, of the Vilas Bridge.
The double arch, reinforced concrete bridge, which was built in
1930, crosses the Connecticut River to connect Walpole to Bellows Falls. It has
been closed since March 2009 when New Hampshire officials order it shut down to
pedestrians and vehicles after it failed a safety inspection.
New Hampshire owns 93 percent of the bridge, while Vermont owns
the remaining 7 percent.
Sue Minter, deputy secretary for the Vermont Agency of
Transportation, said Thursday the offer was made as part of a recent informal
conversation between Vermont’s secretary of transportation, Brian Searles, and
Christopher Clement, commissioner for the N.H. Department of Transportation.
“We’re trying to solve a mutual problem, which is the bridge,” she
said. “This is a concept we felt could be a win-win for both states.”
Since the Vilas Bridge closed, Bellows Falls’ businesses have
reported a roughly 30 percent drop in commerce. Vehicles crossing the bridge
from Route 12 in Walpole were dropped right into the heart of downtown Bellows
Falls.
(Can you really trust them with the 30% and was the decline caused by the relative economic decline)
As part of the Vermont’s offer, New Hampshire must agree to cover
Vermont’s portion of the bill on any future projects to repair or replace
bridges connecting the two states. Once those payments equal the cost of
rehabilitating the Vilas Bridge, New Hampshire will no longer be on the hook,
Minter said.
“We’re not talking about changing the ultimate responsibility of
each state as legally defined by the property boundary, but about essentially
putting out a loan that would be paid back over time through the rehabilitation
of other bridges,” she said.
New Hampshire and Vermont share responsibility for 30 bridges up
and down the Connecticut River, she said.
The well-being of the Vilas Bridge is of particular interested to
Vermont officials because the state has a strong policy of supporting downtowns
and trying to restore historic bridges, she said.
(So why don't they support Brattleboro)
(So why don't they support Brattleboro)
Vermont officials have yet to hear directly from their New
Hampshire counterparts as to whether that state will accept the offer. But it’s
likely the Granite State will decline, according to William H. Boynton,
spokesman for the N.H. Department of Transportation.
“Simply getting the funding fronted for the rehabilitation does not work for us,” Boynton said Friday. “New Hampshire’s position is that we have too many unmet transportation needs and do not currently have the funds to address the Vilas Bridge.”
Of the two states, New Hampshire has the greater portion of the
costs associated with any bridge project over the Connecticut River because the
bulk of the river is in the Granite State.
N.H. Department of Transportation officials estimate the cost of
rehabilitating the Vilas Bridge to range from $4.5-$6 million, Boynton said.
The project isn’t included in the draft of the N.H. Department of
Transportation’s 10-Year Transportation Improvement Plan for 2015-24 because of
“severe funding constraints,” he said.
Those funding constraints have resulted in nearly 39 percent of the roads maintained by the state being in poor condition, and 145 bridges being red-listed.
State officials define red-list bridges as having known
deficiencies, requiring weight limit postings or being in poor condition.
The Vilas Bridge was on that list for about two decades before
state officials closed it.
The 2013-22 transportation improvement plan includes $60,000 for a
preliminary engineering study of the bridge to be done in 2013.
“That has not happened yet due to staff limitation,” Boynton said.
Another factor that has made rehabilitating Vilas Bridge a low
priority is that there is another bridge close by that crosses the Connecticut
River, state officials have said.
“It difficult from our perspective to actively pursue this project
when other communities with deficient bridges do not have the option,” Boynton
said.
(Hinsdale, Brattleboro)
(Hinsdale, Brattleboro)
Francis “Dutch” Walsh, development director for the town of
Rockingham, Vt., which includes the village of Bellows Falls, said having
another bridge up the road doesn’t solve the challenge emergency responders
face in getting from Walpole to Bellows Falls or vice versa to provide mutual
aid.
The other bridge, while newer than Vilas, crosses and active
railroad line. When freight trains use the crossing, it can delay the response
of emergency vehicles between the communities, he said. Vilas didn’t have that
problem, he said.
While he understands New Hampshire’s funding situation, it’s
frustrating that the Vilas Bridge continues to remain closed and deteriorating,
he said.
“I’m very disappointed.”
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