Summary: |
The wooden railroad bridge that provides the only access to the Town’s River Point Conservation Area property is in poor condition and needs to be replaced. Three options have been investigated. The first, replacing the bridge with a new wooden bridge, was considered several years ago and deemed not viable. Other options include a “bridge in a backpack” that uses a new technology developed by the University of Maine College of Engineering. It is a concrete span, 8 ft. in width. The third option is a self-supporting steel span, also 8 ft. in width, that would span the full 100 ft. distance. Both the “bridge in a backpack” and the steel span seem like viable options that
would meet the needs for access, require little or no maintenance, and have a long lifespan. A more thorough explanation is attached.
The Town Manager is looking for Council guidance on whether they will support using unassigned fund balance to fund the project, and for authorization to proceed with an RFP process. |
