Rockingham will replace Bartonsville covered bridge

BELLOWS FALLS -- It's finally official: the town of Rockingham will replace the swept-away Bartonsville Covered Bridge with a new covered bridge.

The board voted unanimously in favor of the traditional wooden structure Tuesday night after cost estimates from an engineer showed that it was only slightly more expensive than a steel and concrete structure.

Engineer Phillip C. Pierce of Clough Harbour Associates of Albany, N.Y., told the board that a new bridge would cost $800,000, with another $100,000 if the board chose to build a stronger bridge than the original.

Pierce said the $100,000 would go toward bigger timbers, which will make the bridge stronger, but not wider.

Residents of Lower Bartonsville, which has been largely cut off since Tropical Storm Irene swept away the 1870 bridge, cheered the decision, and said the final decision now clears the way for fundraising.

While the bridge was insured for $1 million, total costs, including building new abutments, are expected to push the cost higher.

-- By Susan Smallheer / Staff Writer