Royalton select board member urges state action after prolonged closure of Bridge No. 30

Nella Gwen, a select board member from Royal Timberline, told the Senate Transportation committee that the closure of Bridge No. 30 — variously called “Fox And Bridal,” “Flock Sand Bridal” and “Fox Stand” in testimony — has left residents facing long detours, higher vehicle costs and risks to emergency response.

Gwen recounted a sequence of inspections and decisions that led to the bridge’s abrupt closure and the town’s expectation of state support. She said engineers hired in April 2024 found the bridge’s steel severely corroded and the state transportation agency told the town it would provide a temporary span and cover most construction costs, leaving the town responsible for 5 percent of the temporary structure. Gwen said the town was later told the temporary span would be delayed and that cost estimates and timetables kept changing.

“The temporary bridge would be free, and our town’s contribution would be 5%,” Gwen said in testimony.

Gwen provided a timeline of shifting estimates presented to her community: a temporary span initially expected in the fall following closure, then delayed into 2025 and later to 2026; a permanent replacement first projected to begin construction in 2025, later pushed to 2030 with an estimated cost of $6,000,000 (a town match of $600,000), and then an updated project estimate of $11,300,000 with a town match of $565,000. She said the temporary-bridge cost estimate rose from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000, and that the town’s 5% share remained part of those calculations.

Gwen said the town’s select board voted 3–2 on 08/13/2025 to forgo a temporary span and proceed directly to a permanent replacement because of cost concerns, and that the board sought a written state guarantee for any timeline the state provided.

She described concrete local impacts from the closure: a shuttered farm stand, lost customers for a home business, extra wear on vehicles, more public-works spending on detour maintenance and signage, and an emergency-response concern she summarized as: “It is not a matter of if, but when, a fatal fatal accident will occur.” Gwen told the committee an estimated 80 to 133 properties are at increased risk of delayed rescue or fire response because of the detour route.

Committee members and the senator-moderator responded with statewide context: the chair noted roughly 35 town bridges across the state are in poor or near-poor condition, and several committee members urged better local data collection so legislators can prioritize projects.

What happens next: Gwen asked the senate committee to press for reliable timelines and funding certainty so towns can plan; the hearing did not record a formal state decision on the Fox Stand Bridge during this session.

Sources: testimony to the Senate Transportation committee (see transcript excerpts).