Late last week the Bridge Street Bridge in Richmond was closed after Transportation Agency inspectors found steel support beams under the bridge were falling apart. Earlier this summer the Route 2 bridge in Middlesex was closed due to age-related deterioration too. That bridge actually washed away during recent flooding.
Both bridges were built after the floods of 1927 and are what are called steel truss bridges. Many of Vermont’s bridges were built about 80 years ago and are now nearing the end of their natural life spans. Some have been rehabbed. Others are being inspected frequently and are scheduled for repair.
Ben Bush and his wife own "On the Rise Bakery" next to the bridge in Richmond. Richard Tetreault is the chief engineer for the Vermont Agency of Transportation. They spoke with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about the status of bridges in Vermont and the effect bridge closings have on businesses.