Bridge work to begin in Hinsdale

Trisha Nail, The Keene Sentinel, N.H.
·2 min read

Oct. 25—Contractors are looking to begin work on Vernon Street in Brattleboro as part of a project building a new bridge connecting Hinsdale and Brattleboro, according to a news release from the N.H. Department of Transportation.

The $61.2 million Brattleboro-Hinsdale bridge project will replace the existing Route 119 bridges joining the two towns, the Anna Hunt Marsh and Charles Dana bridges. The existing bridges were built in 1920 and the state DOT considers them "functionally obsolete and structurally-deficient."

Contractor Reed & Reed Inc. of Woolwich, Maine, will carry out construction on the new bridge, realigning Route 119 on both sides of the state line over the Connecticut River and bypassing the current two bridges.

The state DOT said in the news release reconstruction of Route 119 will begin about 600 feet south of Georges Field Road in Hinsdale and extend northwest 0.6 miles to connect to Route 142 in Brattleboro. There, a new intersection about 900 feet south of the current intersection of Routes 119 and 142 in Vermont. Additionally, contractors will reconstruct about 1,700 feet of Route 142 in Vermont in 2023, which will close roads and create a detour for about 90 days.

"Individuals who travel Vernon Street (Vermont Route 142) should expect to see an increase in construction activities, but impact to the traveling public should continue to be minimal throughout the fall winter and early spring," the news release stated. "Motorists can expect intermittent delays with trucks carrying material and equipment into and out of the construction area."

During longer construction periods, the state DOT said temporary signage with flag persons or uniformed officers will be used to redirect traffic.

Contractors also plan to build a new boat ramp on the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut River during the project, according to the news release.

The N.H. Executive Council approved the contract for the bridge and realignment in late June 2021, with the full cost of the project totaling $61,170,536 per the agenda from the council. Federal funds will support 86 percent of those costs, New Hampshire will support about 11 percent and Vermont about 2 percent, according N.H. Rep Michael Abbott, D-Hinsdale, per Sentinel reporting from July 2021.

The new bridge is planned to open to traffic in October 2023, Abbot said at the time, with the final completion date for the project set for Oct. 25, 2024.

Trisha Nail can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436, or tnail@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter at @byTrishaNail.