New Hampshire officials and area residents remain at odds over plans to fix the 94-year-old Cheshire Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River between Charlestown, N.H., and Springfield, Vt.
The state's Department of Transportation (NHDOT) had planned to advertise the project to contractors in the fall and begin work next spring that would require closing the bridge for 34 weeks, according to Valley News, a daily news source for the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont.
That plan has been delayed until at least 2026; in the meantime, though, business owners and others remain concerned about the impact of the project.
The three-span Pennsylvania truss Cheshire Bridge carries traffic from N.H. Highway 11 to U.S. Highway 5 in Vermont.
On May 15, with about 40 people in attendance inside Charlestown's old town hall, David Scott, NHDOT's in-house design chief, presented a pair of options for fixing the structure. The first would close the bridge for eight weeks for overhead painting, while the second called for a one-lane traffic restriction on the span lasting almost eight months.
He added that the bridge rehabilitation would take place over two construction seasons.
While eight weeks of complete closure was an improvement over 34 weeks, those who spoke at the meeting said it was still too long.
"It is better, but it does not sound all that great," said Charlestown resident Phil Turner.
Under the second alternative presented by Scott, large trucks could not fit in the single lane and would need to detour to other crossings. If that option were approved, one lane would be widened from 8 ft. to 12 ft. to allow for truck traffic.
Additionally, expanding the one-lane width would mean equipment for painting the structure would be placed on a barge in the river instead of on the bridge deck.
But, Scott added, using a barge would make the Cheshire Bridge project more complex and increase the environmental impact to wetlands and endangered species. In addition, because the Connecticut River is shallow, a bulkhead would have to be constructed on the water's edge to load the barge with the needed equipment.
Without the longer full closure, the original price to repair the bridge of $6.3 million would increase to $9 million with the barge, Scott said.
Many Area Residents Would Prefer New Bridge
Valley News reported that a number of residents at the meeting felt that an entirely new bridge would be a better long-term solution than repairing and repainting the existing 489-ft-long, 21-ft.-wide structure, first constructed in 1930.
The last time the Cheshire Bridge saw a paint job was in 1992, which required it to be closed to traffic for about four weeks. Additional repairs were completed in 2015, according to the news source.
Turner and others contend the bridge is too narrow for today's vehicles and because of its age, will require more costly maintenance in the years ahead. Many suggested it should be used for pedestrian and bike traffic once a new bridge is constructed.
Among those arguing for a new structure over the river were Charlestown business owners Matt Blanc of Blanc and Bailey Construction, and Albert St. Pierre of St. Pierre Sand and Gravel.
St. Pierre noted the $20 million that NHDOT has budgeted for permanent repairs to a section of N.H. 12 in South Charlestown, damaged by heavy rains three years ago, could be better spent on a new replacement for the Cheshire Bridge.
"Give it to us for a new bridge, please," implored St. Pierre.
Fellow Charlestown resident Vincent Jordan said a bridge closure would burden many people with longer, more expensive commutes. The closest crossings on the Connecticut River are 10 mi. north of town and 9 mi. to the south.
Jordan referred to the river crossing at Brattleboro, Vt., where a second bridge was constructed in 2003 next to a 1930s-era span, the latter of which has been converted for use by pedestrians and bicyclists, as something he would like to see in his town.
"Why can't you do it here?" he asked Scott. "In 10 years, you will be back here [to make repairs]. Do the right thing. Build a new bridge."
If approved, Scott said a new span connecting Charlestown and Springfield, Vt., would be moved to the end of NHDOT's next 10-year plan and would not be constructed for at least another decade.
At the very least, residents called for a temporary bridge to be put in place before repairs to avoid a complete closure and suggested the state transportation agency work with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
However, Scott explained that a temporary bridge would add years to the project and another $5 million to $6 million in costs, raising the entire construction effort to approximately $14 million.
At the conclusion of the May 16 meeting, NHDOT Commissioner William Cass assured everyone that his agency will continue to research the best path forward for the Cheshire Bridge, even if that takes another two or three years.
"We want to make sure whatever project comes out of this it is not rushed," he said. "If we have to take more time to develop a consensus, we will do that."
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