Bridge paving likely will have to wait
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The Danco Drive Bridge is not likely to be paved until the spring, according to Town Administrator Elaine Sistare.
The asphalt plants generally close in October/November so the paving will have to wait until spring. The project lost about two months at the beginning of this year’s construction season waiting for some prep work to be done.
Sistare is confident Eversource will be able to return and reconnect the gas line by the end of September/early October.
Those lines were disconnected to allow for the rebuilding of the bridge. The lines need to be reconnected before the winter season, though. 
Three years ago the town hired engineers to inspect the bridge and found it in serious need to rebuilding. Engineers did the inspection because the bridge was 19 feet, 6 inches long. The state had changed it rules and any bridge shorter than 20 feet had to be inspected by the town. The state was no longer inspecting any bridge shorter than 20 feet.
Sistare said the new bridge is 20 feet 6 inches long and will go back on the state’s “rolls.”
Last year, she said the approximate cost for the bridge replacement is $2.6 million. Fifty percent of it is handled by the state and the other 50 percent is covered by the town. The grant was approved a couple years ago and the town had been adding to the capital projects budget to cover the town’s half. 

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Forms are up for the wall on one side of the Danco bridge. The pipes will be safely sandwiched between two layers. Linda Lemmon photo.