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Select board weighs $3M temporary-bridge price tag, seeks written assurances on permanent replacement
Summary
Town staff told the select board the temporary bridge earmarked for Royalton is delayed and the stateestimate rose from $1 million to $3 million; board members asked staff to secure written timelines and to explore alternatives before committing town funds.
The Royalton Select Board spent the bulk of its meeting discussing a delayed temporary bridge and sharply higher cost estimates that could affect the townbudget and local travel.
Ryan told the board that he received an email from Laura Stone, the Vermont scoping engineer for the project, saying the temporary bridge Middlesex is using will "not be available to us until next spring" and that the cost estimate for the temporary structure rose from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000. He said the townwould be responsible for roughly 5% of that cost, "so that would be about a $150,000," compared with an earlier town share of about $50,000 under the original estimate.
The staff presentation laid out two principal options: install the temporary bridge and pay the higher near-term cost (including additional substructure work), or forgo the temporary structure and seek to have the state accelerate the permanent replacement. Ryan said the state indicated verbally it would place the town on a higher priority ranking if Royalton declined the temporary bridge, potentially moving the permanent project to 2028, but he cautioned that the assurance was verbal and could change.
Board members pressed for more certainty. One select board member said, "I would demand a letter assuring us of that date," and asked staff to pursue other funding or assistance options, including contacting the Army Corps of Engineers or the National Guard to explore alternatives. Several members noted roughly 80 properties in the area would be affected by the bridge closure and cited businesses and farms that have already experienced economic strain.
The board directed Ryan to meet with Laura Stone and to return with firm documentation, a clearer timeline and any alternative options he uncovers. No formal vote on funding was taken at the meeting; the board agreed to take the matter up at the next regularly scheduled meeting after staff follow-up.
