|
|
Main St (Enfield, NH) after bridge replacement
|
|
The three pictures included with this case study show the same scene on Main Street in Enfield, NH looking to the west over the bridge that crosses the Mascoma River. The Enfield 10652 project replaced two bridges downtown that go over the Mascoma River. The construction for the project began in 2002 and continued thru 2004. The Main Street bridge had a temporary one lane (with alternating one way traffic) bridge to keep traffic open while the other bridge on Shaker Hill Road had to be closed for a year. The Copeland Block brick building can be seen across the bridge on the right in all three pictures. This building was renovated prior to the bridge replacement and currently has a number of new tenants.
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation had many meetings with the Town's Downtown Committee and Selectmen along with the Enfield Village Association. Based on those meetings, the project included concrete sidewalks that have red dye and are stamped to look like brick. The bridge has black anodized rail and concrete pilasters. A bump out was included in the middle of the Main Street bridge for pedestrians to stop an look at the river. Ornamental lighting was included that the Town paid for about $52,000 plus another $50,000 for a 20% share to extend sidewalks. The town also contributed additional money for some utility upgrades.
The total cost of the project (two bridge replacements) was $5.5 million.
Enfield is a small town (with a population of about 4800 according to a 2004 estimate) that used to have mills and a railroad serving the downtown. Recently there has been a revitalization of the downtown area, primarily due to rising real estate prices and the proximity to Lebanon and Hanover, NH, where the Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital and Dartmouth College have grown.
This project can be considered a good example of a joint effort between the Department of Transportation and the Town in making a positive difference in the community.
|
