Maine quietly orchestrates removal of bridge pilings

Nothing between the two states now but water. (Harrison Thorp photos)

A year ago today, The Lebanon Voice broke the news that Milton would be removing its portion of the New Bridge Road bridge. Three days later it was gone. 

Today the last few pilings, the final visible vestiges of that once-quaint wooden span, lie in a rotted heap on the Lebanon side on the former approach ramp after being removed earlier this week.

The pilings were cut off near the river bottom on Thursday utilizing a hydraulic powered chain saw and an underwater marine construction dive team.

The subsections were then towed to the Maine side, where on Friday they were loaded onto trucks and removed.

Since early August Milton selectmen had been working on the plan, but had hit some snags when few marine contractors replied to queries regarding removal of the pilings.

Ultimately the Maine Department of Transportation found a contractor who would do the job.

Milton Selectmen Bob Bridges said today the cost was expected to be around $7,000 split 50-50 between Milton and the state of Maine.

Early estimates on the cost of removal were around $10,000, so he said the town was happy with the end result.

A few of the pilings have still not been removed.

Bridges expressed satisfaction that the job was finally done.

“Now maybe we can move on,” he said.

Milton Selectmen Chair Tom Gray has said selectmen will produce a ballot question next year asking for residents to approve funding of a new bridge, which would cost the town about $280,000 for a two-lane span.

Next year’s referendum will ask for at least $15,000, the amount needed by Milton to fund its share of engineering costs that could get a new bridge on the list of projects to be funded by the state of New Hampshire.