Repairs Begin

On Main St. Bridge

In Randolph

By M. D. Drysdale

Work will begin next week on replacing Randolph's Main Street bridge, the selectboard was told Tuesday night.

Fresh from a long conference with state engineers, Randolph's superintendent of public works, Joe Voci, reported one unexpected piece of good news: the entire process is expected to take just one year, not two.

"They're just rarin' to go," he reported.

The cost will also be less than had been feared a month ago, though still more than originally planned.

Selectboard Chair Jim Hutchinson told the board that the bids were opened in Montpelier last week and the construction contract has been awarded to Winterset, Inc. of Lyndonville, for just under $5 million. Other expenses—including engineering by the Transportation Agency, will bring the overall cost to just under $6 million Hutchinson guessed.

That's a million more than the original estimate, but short of the $7.5 million number that was mentioned a month ago.

"That scared us to death," Hutchinson admitted.

The town will have to pay 10% of the cost of the replacement of the 1929 bridge, which serves state Route 12. A year ago, Randolph citizens agreed to bond $500,000 for their share, and Hutchinson said the selectboard will try to find the other $100,000 without going for another bond vote.

The bridge, with its concrete balustrades, was one of hundreds built in Vermont after the great flood of 1927. The flood ripped down a bridge that had been built just in 1924, which replaced a covered bridge which had served for decades.

Part of the 1924 bridge was used in the 1927 construction, and other parts of it can still be seen in the water. The new bridge will connect higher on the north end than the current one, but it will continue to incorporate the curve that gives it a scenic quality.

Voci said that work will begin next week on building a temporary bridge, which will be just upstream of the current one. The existing bridge will be dismantled during the winter and a new one built starting in the spring. It should be ready by next November, Voci said.

Prince Street will be closed during the entire construction period, though access to the skating rink/skateboard area will be continued.