The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-08
MORE COMMENT
AS TO BRIDGE SITE
Argument in Opposition to
Locating Structure at
Walnut Street :
WOULD HURT TRADE,
MERCHANTS FEAR
Believed it Would Be Impossible to Sc
cure Bridge for That Site Within Two
or Three Years Even If Voters OF
Towns Were Favorable

Reference in The Reformer yesterday
| to the fact that some people are agitating
the idea of erecting bridge across the
/ Connecticut river at Walnut street to
take the place of three others-the one
contracted for to replace the one which
was carried away about a year ago WHICH
, connected this village with Island Park,
the Little River bridge and the suspension
| bridge two miles north of the village
| has caused considerable comment and has
brought out a sentiment on the part of
mercants and others in opposition to such
a proposition. 1t is recognized, however
that agitation will do no harm and that
an exchange of views on the bridge ques-
tion ultimately will have the effect of
clarifying the situation.
Several reasons are advanced against To-
eating a bridge at Walnut street. In the
first place it is pointed out that bridge
there would have to be at least twice as
long as the proposed bridge at the Island
Park site. outside of the approaches, as
the distance across the river at the Wal
nut street level is about LOGO feet, or
three times the length of the suspension
bridge connecting this town with Ches-
terfeld. Thus a bridge for that site
would cost a large sum of money.
To bring about the erection of a bridge
there, even suppoSing the voters of the
towns interested were favorably inclined,
would require two or three years, accord
ing to men who have had to do with those
matters. The whole proposition would
have to be considered carefully. surveys
and estimates would have to be made be-
fore report on the feasibility of the
scheme could be put up to the voters
special town meetings would have to be
called, provided action was desired prior
to the regular meetings. bids would have
to be advertised for and then months
would elapse before the contractors could
fabricate and erect the bridge. Mean
while there would be no bridge at Island
Park and the traffic situation between
Brattleboro and New Hampshire would
have to remain about as it is now.
7 The Reformer often has called attention
to the loss of business to Brattleboro
which results from an interruption of
communication with Hinsdale except by
way of the suspension bridge. such as ex-
lists at the present time. If bridge were
to be built at Walnut street this Interrupt
tion would continue two or three years
more and in addition. some of the mer-
chants point out. the Walnut street
bridge would put Brattleboro off the main
thoroughfare. That is, tourists who
would pass through the village if a bridge
lwere erected at the old site would go
laround it and not come to the business
ISection at all unless they went out of their
way, if the site was moved up the river.
As one merchant expressed 1t, 1t would
be like moving my store from Main street
to some side street.
Besides this. the new bridge contracted
for to replace the old one is being fabri-
Gated and will be completed ready for
erection within a few weeks, so that the
cost of the work done upon it would have
to be added to the cost of building bridge
for some other location.
=! Reference has been made to the desira-
bility of eliminating the grade crossing
near the railroad station. and while
everybody admits that such an accom-
, plishment would be beneficial persons IA
. miliar with the traffic at the crossing say
that moving the bridge site would not
eliminate the crossing, as more than three
quarters of the traffic there goes to the
railroad yard and does not cross the
bridge.
When the railroads move the freight
house to the west side of the tracks
certain amount of the traffic at the cross
. ing will be eliminated. but persons ship
ping carload lots would still have to cross
the tracks in order to reach the cars, and
the cartage of coal would continue across
THE railroad as at present.
BrattlebOro has appropriated $4,000
to be paid to the railroads when they move
the freight house to the west side of the
: tracks and while a demand for payment
has been made more than once, it is
understood to be the intention of the
town authorities not to pay the money
until the agreement with respect TO NOV
ing the freight house is carried out