The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-04
BRIDGE QUESTION
IN TOWN MEETING
West River Highway Struc-
ture to Come Before
the Voters
UNEASINESS OVER
SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Has Been i'm Use b Years and Was Not
Intended for Heavy Traffic of Present
Time - Some Cables Not Taut In
spectiOn by StOrrs


With view to having at hand all pos
sible data concerning the West River
highway bridge before the annual town
meeting March l the Brattleboro select
men had Engineer John W. Storrs of Con
cord, \. H, here yesterday afternoon and
this forenoon for an examination of the
bridge. Mr.. Storrs also visited the sus-
pension bridge across the Connecticut
river between Brattleboro and Chester
field which is giving the selectmen of
both towns some concern, and he talked
over the situation with the Brattleboro
officials with respect to the delay in the
erection of the new steel bridge that is to
span the river between this village and
Island Park. Thus it appears that the
selectmen of this town have three bridge
problems on their hands.
For some time the selectmen have been
planning to bring the West river bridge
situation before the annual March meet
ing, and it is their plan % have an article
inserted in the warrant for the meeting.
possibly to have a committee appointed to
recommend such action as may seem best
after finding out just what can be ex-
pected in the way of state or federal aid
or both.
Mr. Storrs will prepare a report
within a few days. He stated however.
that so long as the arches which support
the West River bridge were kept from
tipping over there was no danger of the
bridge collapSing under the strain of any
load that is likely to be placed upon it.
provided the stringers were sound and
the flooring in proper condition The
cable attached TO the upstream side of
he bridge last year by the Fred T. Ley
Construction Co. is doing good work III
mr. ha nf ha hrsI
from tipping, and the north section has
tipped only slightly the past year The
selectmen will take steps to prevent fur
ther tipping by the north section. They
also viii put IN whatever new strlngeTs
are needed and viii re-plank the bridge
according to the most approved method.
| SO far as safety is concerned therefore,
/ il is evident that the old bridge is good for
many years of service yet, but with fed
eral road projects on both sides there is
Il feeling by many that the bridge should
be replaced by new one of modern con-
structiOn. 1t cannot be lowered, on ac-
count of the danger from freshets espe-
cially with ice in the river. and it cannot
be raised unless it is raised high enough
to proved for an over pass over the West
River railroad track. which would involve
big expense. Mr.. Storrs says a new type
of railroad bridge over the highway could
be built which would give two feet or SO
more cleaarnce for loads using the high
way.
Concerning the suspension bridge across
i the Connecticut river, it is felt that while
the bridge was sufficient in size and
strength for the traffic which existed
when it was built. the increasingly heavy
| traffic renders the structure unsafe. 1t
has been in use 81 years. The bridge
is $40 feet long and has a 1J-foot road
way. Some of the cables are not taut
where they are anchored to the river
banks. and in the past few years the water
and ice has risen SO high that some dam
age has been done to the under side of the
structure. The anchorage at the Yer
mont end is ledge, but the anchorage at
the New Hampshire end is cement and
seems rather light for modern traffic, al
thought it has supported heavy loads.
Mr.. Storrs sees little chance of remedying
| the situation without putting on a new
bridge.
The bridge is the western terminus of
one of the New Hampshire state roads,
and it may be possible to secure some as
sistance from the legislature of that state
There is nothing new with respect to
the proposed steel arch bridge between
this village and Island Park and so far
as anyone can see the bridge will not be
erected until after high water the coming
spring.