Residents in Dummerston will have to wait a little longer for repairs to a landmark covered bridge over the West River.
Recent town minutes show officials have had to put the work on the 140-year-old covered bridge out to bid again. That came after a contractor said it wasn’t able to perform the job. That decision is expected to delay the project for another four to six weeks.
"The Select Board is extremely frustrated with the delays," select board member Tom Bodett told the Brattleboro Reformer. "But we understand… it’s the nature of the beast."
The old bridge was heavily damaged during Tropical Storm Irene last August, and the town had hoped to reopen it to buses and emergency vehicles this fall before school began and before the fall-foliage tourism season.
Town officials say the work will require the bridge to be closed for at least a few months.
Minutes from Dummerston are available at VPR’s Public Post.