Told you...the battle of the dead and dying NH bridges...
"I bet you it will only be a matter of days before Bellow Falls comes begging to the Reformer to create a article about their bridge woes."
Vt. town considers meeting on closed bridge
Posted: Jun 07, 2013 7:15 AM EDTUpdated: Jun 07, 2013 7:15 AM EDT
ROCKINGHAM, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont town selectboard is thinking of holding a public meeting on a bridge that's been closed for four years to bring more attention to it.
The well-traveled Vilas Bridge over the Connecticut River was closed in 2009 after an inspection found continued deterioration of the bridge deck.
The bridge, which Bellows Falls, Vt., to Walpole, N.H., was built in 1930. It's been on New Hampshire's Red List of troubled bridges for more than 20 years, but there are no immediate plans to repair it, partly because of funding challenges and nearby travel alternatives, such as the Arch Bridge.
See, the political code language of the DOT an the state politicians...you got to get red listed before they will even think of replacing the bridge..The Claremont Eagle-Times (http://bit.ly/19Oz9vF) reports the selectboard in Rockingham brought up the idea at a board meeting this week. Officials would also invite selectmen from neighboring Walpole and North Walpole, N.H.
Information from: Eagle Times, http://www.eagletimes.com
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The N.H. Department of Transportation will hold a public information meeting June 12 about a proposed Keene bridge rehabilitation project on Elm Street. The bridge carries Routes 9 and 10 over Elm Street.
The meeting, which will be part of the City Council’s municipal services, facilities and infrastructure meeting, will give information about the proposed project to residents and public officials. Public input is encouraged.
The bridge is one of 10 in Keene that have been “red-listed” by the transportation department,
Typical Reformer...too lazy to get a current picture. I bet you it will only be a matter of days before Bellow Falls comes begging to the Reformer to create a article about their bridge woes.
Out delapatated bridge wars between Hinsdale/Bratt and Bellow Falls...
Officials discuss new Hinsdale-Brattleboro bridge
By DOMENIC POLI / Reformer Staff
Posted: 06/04/2013 03:00:00 AM EDT
Updated:
06/04/2013 07:12:10 AM EDT
Tuesday June 4, 2013
BRATTLEBORO - Representatives from Vermont and New Hampshire on
Monday decided a timeline must be carefully mapped out in order to start
building a structure replacing two bridges that are considered
"functionally obsolete," yet still safe for traffic.
Fourteen people convened in a second-floor room of the Brattleboro
Municipal Center to discuss strategies for improving the bridge project's
readiness and prepare arguments for the project's inclusion in the New
Hampshire Ten Year Plan.
Attendees included JB Mack, the principal planner for the
Southwest Region Planning Commission, Hinsdale Selectman Jay Ebbinghausen, N.H.
State Rep. Bill Butynski (D-Hinsdale, Chesterfield, Winchester), Vt. State Rep.
Mollie Burke, a Brattleboro Democrat and a member of the State House
Transportation Committee, and Mark Richardson, Administrator Bureau of Bridge
Design at the N.H. Department of Transportation.
Danny Landry, project manager at the Vermont Agency of
Transportation, took part in the discussion via speakerphone.
The next significant milestone for the project is a public hearing
regarding the environmental assessment document, which Landry said should be
ready within the next week or so. There will be another meeting similar to
Monday's following the public hearing, which is expected to be held this month.
Brattleboro is now connected to Hinsdale, N.H., by two
Pennsylvania truss bridges that were built in 1920. The Anna Hunt Marsh Bridge connects Brattleboro to Hinsdale Island, which is
connected to Hinsdale by the Charles Dana Bridge. Mack previously told the Reformer
that federal highway standards dictate the bridges are too narrow and have
insufficient weight limits and vertical clearances.
According to New Hampshire's website, the purpose of the Ten Year
Plan is "to develop and implement a plan allowing New Hampshire to fully
participate in federally supported transportation improvement projects as well
as to outline projects and programs funded with State transportation
dollars." The plan would be used to rehabilitated the two existing
bridges.
Everyone at the meeting agreed Vermont and New Hampshire cannot
afford to have the two bridges "red-listed," or closed due to
deficiencies within the next 10 years. Therefore, everyone said it is vital to
start constructing a bridge that will replace them. It would begin near the
stop light at the former Walmart location, span the Connecticut River, the
southern portion of Hinsdale Island and the Merrill Gas Company tank farm on
Vernon Road and then touch down near Brattleboro's "malfunction
junction." The older bridges would be rehabilitated and would still be
used for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Domenic Poli can be reached at dpoli@reformer.com,
or 802-254-2311, ext. 277. You can follow him on Twitter @dpoli_reformer.
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