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Town of New Castle says Duck Pond, Route 120 pedestrian bridge replacements moving toward construction this summer
Summary
Town engineer Jeff Gaspar told the board the contractor is finalizing shop drawings for the Duck Pond and Route 120 pedestrian bridges; Duck Pond Bridge replacement is the critical path, with work likely in late spring and the Route 120 pedestrian bridge installation expected by late summer to early fall.
The Town of New Castle received an update Wednesday night on two pedestrian bridges that have been delayed through multiple bid cycles. Jeff Gaspar, the town engineer, told the board the town awarded the contract in January and the contractor is currently submitting and revising shop drawings.
Gaspar said the Duck Pond Bridge—adjacent to the Route 120 pedestrian bridge and long closed for safety reasons—remains the project’s critical path. “Duck Pond Bridge is currently undergoing just shop drawing review,” Gaspar said, and the contractor and the town’s consultant have gone “back and forth two or three times” to finalize details. He explained the project uses three pre-fabricated sections for bridge installation and that tall trees had to be removed where the sections would be lifted and where footings will sit.
On schedule and closures: Gaspar said the awarded contractor still targets a summer replacement for Duck Pond and expects to install the Route 120 pedestrian bridge later in the summer, with substantial completion possible by August or September. He told the board that the contractor redesigned the main-bridge foundations—replacing existing timber piles with drilled mini-piles to bedrock—which has extended the design review but should sharply reduce the need for extended full-day closures of Quaker Road during installation.
Access and safety considerations: Gaspar emphasized the sequencing: the town will not remove the existing pedestrian bridge until the Duck Pond Bridge is in place, to preserve pedestrian access from Douglas and Quaker streets. He also confirmed the Duck Pond foundations will be reused where appropriate and that the Route 120 supports will be replaced with steel-reinforced concrete mini-piles.
Next steps: Gaspar said the contractor anticipates finishing shop-drawing review soon and beginning field work consistent with the revised sequencing. The board thanked staff for continuing to advance the project after earlier bid failures; no formal vote was required at the meeting. The town’s environmental coordinator will prepare a tree-replacement plan for trees removed to accommodate equipment and foundations.
