The Liberty Farm Road Bridge in Antrim experienced heavy damage from flooding in early July, after a release of water from the Island Pond Dam in Stoddard during heavy rainfall.
With portions submerged underwater, the bridge experienced extensive structural damage to the supports and the tar of the structure.
According to Stoddard Emergency Management Director Daniel Eaton, the Island Pond Dam had been experiencing major water buildup during the state’s wet early summer. Eaton said torrential rain caused a 50-foot wall of water to build up at the dam, causing the dam’s flash boards and pipes to snap off.
“It was a controlled and not-controlled release,” said Eaton. “When the water gets above 18 inches over the boards, they collapse. You know it’s going to happen, but you don’t know when the boards are going to pop. There’s no way to control it.”
Flooding also affected several abutting properties, but when given the opportunity to evacuate, most chose to remain on their properties. After evaluation of the structure’s condition and the strong current, Antrim Fire Chief Marshall Gale deemed the bridge impassable and it was blocked off, except in emergency cases.
“At this point, [the bridge] is only able to be trafficked with a four-wheel pickup. We did give the neighbors an opportunity to evacuate, but most chose to stay in place,” said Gale. “The main priority is to make sure these nearby homes have access to Stacy Hill Road and make it possible for emergency vehicles to pass through.”
Less than one week after the initial surge, another nearly four inches rain in the area brought further complications for Antrim. Roads that hadn’t been affected by the prior rain, including as Gibson Mountain Road, Second New Hampshire Turnpike, Goodell Road, Buttercup Lane and Bridle Road, were damaged and at least partially closed. On West Street, flooding two feet over the bridge forced residents in one home to be evacuated and the power to be shut off. Following the rain, the town of Antrim released announced the Liberty Farm Road Bridge could potentially be repaired.
The bridge was closed to traffic indefinitely due to concerns about safety, but according to Gale, the state’s Bridge Maintenance Bureau’s initial assessment was that it could be repaired. However, work to fix the roads takes precedence, so Gale could not predict when work would begin. In the interim, Gale said drainage and ditches installed on Stacy Hill Road and Farmstead Road held up through the storm, so residents of the 18 homes on Liberty Farm, Stacy Hill and Farmstead could use detours on Stacy Hill and Old North Branch Road.
By the end of July, Antrim was evaluated by the Federal Emergency Managenent Agency (FEMA). The Antrim road department upgraded a Class VI road on Stacy Hill to be usable by emergency vehicles and homeowners – Class VI roads are not maintained and can be impassable by cars – but Road Agent Jim Plourde warned that the steepness of Stacy Hill meant it would be difficult to keep the road open in winter.
“We’re in defensive mode, still trying to catch up and get things open,” Plourde told a roomful of FEMA representatives in a meeting before the group headed out to tour some of the damage. “My biggest concern is that if this bridge stays out of service throughout the winter, we’re going to be able to maintain the (Stacy Hill) roadway.
Ultimately, the Antrim Select Board decided in August to move forward with a plan to repair the Liberty Farm Road bridge rather than install a more-expensive, temporary bridge. According to Gale, the bridge is scheduled to be replaced in 2026, and options brought before the board were for a prefabricated replacement bridge that would last until then, or a repaving and restoration effort to the existing bridge. The prefabricated option would offer a faster repair, but the $185,000 price tag was nearly double of the restoration estimate of $95,000.
According to Gale, the decision to pursue the slower but more-cost-effective restoration was financially responsible. The verdict was made easier, he said, because of an issue with the prefabricated bridge, as the construction company did not have the needed materials readily available. The bridge would not arrive prefabricated because of this shortage, thus Gale said there was no advantage.
Josh Lacaillade, Bill Fonda, David Brooks and Geoff Forester contributed reporting.