Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-08-01
BRIDGE WILL COST $4,000.
Contract for Construction Of Structure
Across Connecticut Given to United
Construction Co. of Albany.

HSTVsS SonHeCtICut OlVen 10 united
Construction Co. of Albany.
The steel bridge which the towns of
Brattleboro and Hjnsdale voted to
build across the Connecticut river,
connecting the two towns, will be con
structed by the United Construction
company of Albany, n Y, the con-
tract price being $4,000. The award
was made not far from midnight Tues
day night, but not until two sets of
bids by the same companies had been
opened and not until the United Con-
struction company had reduced its
second bid $3.50. The contract price
is still $3.50 above the limit of ex-
penditure set by the two towns, but
as there has been an advance in the
price of iron, STEEL cement and other
material necessary in bridge building
since the towns voted the bridge there
seemed to be but one practical course
open to the commissioners. which was
to award the contract at the lowest
! figure obtainable. There are two
ways in which the commission can
raise the extra s1250 one by selling
four per cent bond and the other
by calling a special town meeting.
o'clock Tuesday as advertised. Rep
resentatives of five companies were
present, but only three submitted bids,
the others thinking that it would be
useless to submit their bids as they
were far above the limit. The bids
were opened by w II. Vinton and
were as follows: United Construction
company of Albany, N. Y, $4S,500;
Berlin Construction company of Ber-
| lin, Conn, $51 900; Boston Bridge
Works, Boston. $50 $500.
The commission decided that it
would be necessary to modify the
specifications, and accordingly the
members of the commission and the
representatives went to the old bridge
to look over the ground. The specifca-
| tions provided that the east end of the
new bridge should be about Is feet
| farther south than the east end of
! the present bridge. in order to avoid
a sharp curve in the road, and that
/ the retaining wall be built of cut mas
onry In order to reduce the expense
| the commission decided to have the
south line of the bridge where it is
now, to have the extra width come
on the north side and to have whatev-
err fill was necessary retained with
| rip-rap as far as practicable. New
/ bids were then called for to be opened
! at o'clock in the evening.
Five bids were presented in the ev-
ening as follows: United Construction
company of Albany. $35,S50; New Eng
/ land Structural company of Boston
| $3S 900; Berlin Construction company
of Berlin, Conn. $3S,279; Eastern
Bridge and Structural company of
| Worcester, Mass. 1880: Boston
/ Bridge Works of Boston. S39 $50. Sew
/ eral hours were spent in discussing
the situation. but finally the contract
was awarded the United Construction
company. the company reducing its
| bid to S35 900, as stated. The con-
/ tract was awarded on condition that
satisfactory arrangements be made as
/ to the additional land required at
the east end. and provided the towns
vote to raise the extra money needed
In addition to the extra $3.50 called
/ for by the contract several hundred
I dollars will be needed to pay land
| damages, etc. Probably it will be
necessary to move, If not remove. the
| house at the northeast corner of the
I bridge.
/ The contract calls for a steel bridge
with a roadway of &c feet between
! the trusess. II must be of one span
and of sufficient strength to accomo-
date street railroad traffic. There
must be walk on the downstream
side. six feet wide. and a street rail
road line, with the exception of the
rails. on the opposite side. The abut.
ments must be five feet higher than
at present. The work will be begun
at once but the date when it must
be completed has not yet been fixed
upon.
The special meeting of the Brattle.
boro voters, when it was decided to
build the bridge, was held May
/ O. At that time it was voted to au-
/ thorize the selectmen to borrow upon
the credit of the town sum OF money
not to exceed s250 900 for that purpose.
| Soon afterwards the town of Hinsdale
voted to pay one fourth the cost OF
the bridge. provided that portion did
not exceed $4,000.