As reported in last month’s Beacon, New Boston is planning to dedicate a timber bridge to Lee Murray, who was New Boston’s road agent for 16 years before he retired and moved to Andover. Lee moved to South Carolina in 2011 and died in September 2012.
The bridge dedication is planned for Saturday, June 29 at 11 AM in New Boston.
According to Lee’s wife, Dianne, “The timber bridge on Lyndeborough Road in New Boston was particularly significant to Lee because he was able to convince the New Boston Selectmen to let his crew (which included the only woman ever on the highway crew!) erect the wooden bridge, completed in July of 2000. It was a tremendous success!”
At the time of construction, Brandy Mitroff of the New Boston Bulletin wrote:
“Road Agent Lee Murray and the New Boston Highway Crew did an exemplary job in putting together the striking wooden bridge on Lyndeborough Road.
“The bridge arrived from the builder with each piece marked – making it sort of like putting together an erector set project, but this superstructure spans 60 feet across the Piscataquog River.
“In a phone call with Frank Tremblay, owner of the bridge builder Laminated Concepts in Big Flats, New York, he shared high praise for the work done by the town crew. ‘For a small town, with a small crew, to take on a project of that size was incredible,’ said Mr. Tremblay, who was personally on-site for the actual construction. He noted that in his 23 years in business throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, this was the largest of the company’s bridges that a local crew had installed.
“‘Lee’s crew saved the town a lot of money,’ Mr. Tremblay stated. He went on to explain that the work went very smoothly, and he was particularly impressed that the crew really understood the project, something that he often doesn’t find with general contracting crews.
“‘Lee could run a construction crew, he’s very efficient,’ he continued, particularly noting the ‘very clever’ scaffolding rigging that Mr. Murray had designed as well as his talent in operating the Gradall, a machine that was integral to the construction.
“Mr. Tremblay also remarked on the enthusiasm and hard work that each member of Lee’s five-person crew put into the project, accomplishing the work in a very short amount of time. He noted that there would usually be a crew of eight to ten on a job of this size.
“When Road Agent Lee Murray met with the Selectmen on July 10, 2000, he noted that the Lyndeborough Road Bridge was nearly complete. As of July 28, repaving of the bridge had been completed. The bridge was completed more than a month ahead of schedule.”