Bridge remains on schedule; council hears resident calls to accelerate east-side road repaving

Residents urged the council to prioritize road resurfacing and minimize cumulative disruptions as the Pine Tree Bridge work continues; town staff reported the bridge is on schedule and the state has limited what can be changed on the bridge railing.

Resident Tim Daughtry called for prompt resurfacing of east-side roads and said the temporary closure of Pine Tree Bridge creates a narrow window of reduced traffic when work could be done with less disruption. "We need to move forward with repaving. We need to do it now... Pine Tree Bridge is shut down now," Daughtry told the council during audience comments.

Town staff said the state has declined a wholesale change to the bridge’s concrete railing but is receptive to a decorative top railing. "The state has partially declined our request to change the railing system to a more decorative rail. They said you have to keep the concrete on the bottom," staff said. Staff said the change is not structural and that the town will get a price for a decorative pedestrian rail and bring that back to council. Staff reiterated the project remains on schedule and expressed optimism it could finish earlier than the contractual completion mid‑summer date.

Council members and staff also discussed related utility work. Staff reported a change order for replacement of an eight‑inch water main in the bridge area because an existing section was in poor condition; work was described as necessary for reliability and safety and the council had previously approved change orders for water line work.

Several council members emphasized that public‑facing work such as paving should be coordinated to compress disruptions and avoid repeatedly reopening the same corridors. No new paving contract was approved at the Jan. 14 meeting; council members said they want staff to pursue coordinated scheduling and to seek competitive pricing and to report back with a detailed paving plan and timeline.