Route 5 bridge project set to begin July 10
GUILFORD — GUILFORD - Highway Commissioner Dan Zumbruski updated Selectboard members on the Route 5 bridge replacement project scheduled for this summer.
The start date on the new Algiers Bridge is July 10, and will require a 28-day closure, Zumbruski said. Pre-construction work on utilities and trees in the bridge area has already begun.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation's suggested detour is 25 miles long and takes travelers through Bernardston, Mass. Because of safety concerns on the winding, steep road, the Roads Department will close Broad Brook Road to all but residents and emergency personnel during the bridge closure, Zumbruski said.
Resident Steve Lembke asked if the 28-day closure is “a lock, or an estimate,” and referenced the delayed completion of last summer's Green River covered bridge project.
Lembke also asked if there is a penalty to the contractor if the Algiers bridge opens late.
Town Administrator Peder Rude confirmed the 28-day closure “is a lock and there is a penalty on the contractor if it is not opened after that 28th day,” and, “yes, it is set in stone.”
The Agency of Transportation will hold an informational meeting about the project at the Guilford Community Church on May 25.