The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1926-04-08
BUCKS COMMISSIONERS READY
AND WILLING TO BUILD MAIN
STREET BRIDGE IN new HOPE
But Are Held Up BY Objections OF Lewis Bwn Miller
The Meantime Old Bridge Is Dangerous To Public
Travel

New Hope--A delegation of To-
cal citizens again waited on the
Bucks County Commissioners last
Monday at their regular weekly
meeting at Doylestown, in efforts
to secure the new concrete bridge for
South Main street which was prom
ised last summer. But the Commits
sioners all protested that the con-
struetion was not held up by them,
but by Lewis A. Brown, who runs
the grist mill just below the bridge.
They report that Mr.. Brown has
threatened n lawsuit if the bridge
is started, claiming that it would
decrease the flow of water in the
creek and thus damage his business.
This bridge was formely main
tanned by the Pennsylvania-New Jer-
sey Traction Company when their
trolleys passed over it. When the
trolley line was abandoned, of course
the bridge was also abandoned. Pre-
vious to the abandonment the bridge
had not been repaired in long
J time, and it has rapidly deteriorated
until it has become a menace to
public travel.
| For several weeks last summer the
bridge was closed to traffic because
of its dangerous condition. In the
meantime traffic had to be detoured
and the situation became intolerable.
The Boro was not able TO take over
the bridge, and an appeal was made
to the County Commissioners to re-
place it. The traffic is heavy over
the bridge in summer, rs it is part
of the River Road which was rebuilt
by the State year before last. For
this reason the Commissioners
agreed, after large delegations of
local residents had appealed to
them, to take over the bridge,
/ The Commissioners Immediately
advertised for bids to build per-
manent concrete structure which
would not only take care of traffic
for all time to come, but would be
slightly improvement to the commun-
ity. Mr.. Brown, the miller, was
among a delegation which petitioned
the Commissioners for the new
bridge, and when bids were asked
for. il, specification we're Included
ser compromising MFR. Brown fof BIZ
loss while water was out of the pond
during construction work
Ernest Harvey, chairman of the
Board of Commissioners, said on
Monday that an agreement was first
reached with Mr.. Brown whereby he
would be compensated at the rate OF
$500 a day for every day water
was cut off during construction of
the bridge. Also he said that provis-
ions were made for paying for any
emergency grinding he might have to
take to other mills.
Contractor McPeet was the low
bidder, at figure slightly under
$4,000. But before the contract
NbHlh Ut ltii WI i'ioNh iih'tistN'
Webster Achey, Doylestown attor-
ney, and protested against the
bridge as detrimental to his bus
mess. Pending settlement of this
protest, the contract was held up.
Mr.. McPeet's guaranty check was
retained by the Commissioners for
some time until he withdrew it on
the ground that the changing prices
of materials would invalidate his
original bid.
! As result of Mr.. Browns pro-
! test, engineers from the Depart
ment of Forests and Waters inspec-
ted the situation, and hearing
was held on it in Harrisburg last
November. At this hearing the De-
apartment Of Forests and Waters