Wilton residents will save over $100,000 in construction costs for the red-listed Old County Farm Road bridge after receiving federal infrastructure funding for the repairs.
Currently, the closed-off bridge is one of four infrastructures in Wilton on NHDOT’s municipally-owned red list, a catalog of bridges throughout the state that are in need of repairs due to poor conditions.
According to Town Administrator Nick Germain, the projected cost to reconstruct the Old County Farm Road bridge is a minimum of $447,000, based on the most recent estimate in 2020.
Germain said the inflated construction costs caused by the pandemic will affect the bridge’s budget.
“I assume it’s going to be more expensive,” said Germain.
Typically, the town would be responsible for covering 20 percent of the total reconstruction cost, while the state covers the remaining 80 percent according to Germain.
Since President Biden signed the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill into law on November 15, 2021, $110 billion will be allocated to restoring the bridge infrastructures in towns across the nation, including Wilton. This means the infrastructure fund will cover the reconstruction costs of the Old County Farm Road bridge overlooking Blood Brook.
According to Select Board Chair Kermit Williams, Wilton residents will most likely be required to cover the engineering costs, a smaller sum compared to funding approximately $100,000 of the estimated half a million dollar project.
Williams also said the NHDOT is planning to start the reconstruction process of over 20 bridges across the state this year, including the Old County Farm Road stone bridge. Williams said despite NHDOT’s plans to revamp the stone bridge, the project is far from over.
“I don’t believe we will get any of these bridge projects done in 2022,” said Williams. “I believe we will get the engineers to assess the bridge by 2023.”