Bridge Barrier Groundwork Planned For September

Paul Hayes phayes@littletonrecord.com Staff Writer Sep 2, 2024 Updated Sep 2, 2024

 

 

 

LYNDON — Plans to protect the Miller’s Run Covered Bridge are finally moving forward.

The Select Board on Friday agreed to proceed with plans to install crash barriers on either side of Miller’s Run Covered Bridge.

Techno Metal Post of Montpelier is slated to do footings and foundations in late September, and the steel barriers would be fabricated and attached at a later date.

According to the Select Board, the project is expected to cost roughly $60,000, double the amount set aside for it.

Despite the cost overrun, the Select Board said the job could be completed without further taxpayer impact.

The board said voters have already allocated $30,000 for the barriers, and federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds will cover the remaining expenses.

First-year Selectman Dan Renaudette, who is heading up the project, said the town would do its due diligence before officially accepting the price quote.

The steel barriers were conceived two and a half years ago to prevent vehicles that exceed the 11-foot-9 height limit from hitting the historic 146-year-old span.

The bridge has been struck repeatedly over the years, including at least four times in 2023.

Repairs typically cost $1,100 per incident.

However, construction of the barriers had been postponed indefinitely due to spiraling cost estimates and installation issues. Engineers in March solved a key design problem when they determined that, while the originally planned concrete footings were too large, slimmer “screw piles” could do the job.

Residents pressed town officials to follow through with the bridge barriers earlier this year.

During the Town Meeting information session, Lyndon resident Mark Beattie said, “It’s becoming increasingly embarrassing to read about this in the newspaper, particularly the tagline at the end [of articles] that says that ‘They’ve been studying this for years.’”

If built, the barriers would continue town efforts to protect the Miller’s Run Covered Bridge, also known as the Bradley Covered Bridge, which dates back to 1878.

The Select Board also increased fines for height and weight violations at Miller’s Run Covered Bridge to $5,000 (first offense), $10,000 (second offense), and $15,000 (third offense) in 2021.

The previous fine amounts had been $2,000/$3,500/$5,000.

Plans to add surveillance cameras to capture offenders’ license plates have also been considered.