Rockingham To Remember A Bridge And Celebrate A New One

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The town of Rockingham is planning to mark the anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene by remembering the loss of a local icon.

On August 28, the one year anniversary of Irene, the town will hold a barbecue at the site of the old Bartonsville Covered Bridge. The historic bridge was swept away by Irene’s floodwaters. It was captured on video, one of the most famous images of the destruction Vermont suffered during the storm.

The town will also celebrate the beginning of construction on the bridge that will replace it. Trestle work on that bridge is expected to get under way in mid-August, with major construction planned for October and November.

Rockingham’s Select Board says the bridge will be closed down in late November to allow for removal of a temporary bridge. It now hopes to re-open the bridge by mid-January.

The Vermont League of Cities and Towns has told Rockingham’s Select Board that insurance will only cover $230,000 of the work, leaving approximately $700,000 for the town to pick up.

The amount of reimbursement from FEMA is still unknown.

Bloomberg News reports that in Irene’s wake Vermont cities and towns are borrowing at the fastest pace in the U.S. 

Public Post: Read the latest select board minutes from Rockingham, and let us know about rebuilding efforts in your town here.

Slayton: Repairng The Bartonsville Bridge

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