Maple Street Bridge

Work on the Maple Street bridge should begin during the week of December 12. We cannot say it will only take a day or so, like the Kearsarge Mountain Road bridge, but rest assured that it will be completed as quickly as possible.

Road Agent John Thompson and team, including our Town crew, are ready to go, with materials ordered and a plan in place. The one issue could be the weather; however we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

We remain well within the budget of $12,000 and see no reason to anticipate any overruns going forward.

Thanks goes to Jeff Newcomb for his public efforts and to John Thompson for “digging out” of his budget and re-prioritizing projects to make this all come together. These are true signs of what cooperative efforts can lead to, while providing positive progress for Andover residents.

Lawrence Street Bridge Walkway

Upon completion of the Maple Street bridge, the same crew will turn its efforts to completing a pedestrian walkway at the Lawrence Street bridge. Our hope is to have it done before the new year; however, we remain at the mercy of the weather.

As you know, the Lawrence Street bridge, as an overall project, is a sizable undertaking for the Town. We still anticipate state funds in 2022, but in the meantime Town officials, bridge engineers, and several commercial haulers met at the bridge to review the project. It was agreed that the bridge will be inspected a minimum of every 90 days and, based on those inspections, the proper steps will be taken.

The Select Board and the Town Administrator are examining a number of options so we can keep as normal a traffic flow as possible. Public safety is of primary concern, as well as services necessary for the residents above the bridge. Updates will be made available as they are received.

Retro-Fitting Fire Truck

East Andover Fire Department sold its older truck to the Town for $1. This truck has been in the process of conversion into a plow, dump truck, and sander for our streets and projects. A parts truck was found in Maine, which we purchased for $4,200 and have salvaged an estimated $15,000 worth of parts, including a plow, wings, pistons, frame, and more.

John Thompson and his crew, including our Town crew, have been working to get our “new” truck ready for inspection and into service. The goal is to be up and running before year’s end.

Keep in mind, this re-fit is being done around existing projects, so hang in there; the wrenches, torches, and muscle are working hard to beat the snow.

These are just brief updates, as all departments and boards are working not only on the regular tasks, but are putting together budgets for 2017. The Select Board, in conjunction with Marj Roy, have been meeting in special work sessions weekly, as well as our regular Monday evening meetings, to get a good, solid budget together.

Thank you to all the committees and various boards for their work on behalf of Andover.