ORANGE — The Holtshire Road bridge project moves forward after voters at a special town meeting adopted the 10 articles pertaining to land needed to replace the structure.
The Monday vote authorized the Orange Selectboard to try to acquire easements by purchase or as a gift. Selectboard Chairwoman Kathy Reinig previously said adoption of each article would grant the board permission to negotiate the easements, with Town Administrator Diana M. Schindler acting on its behalf.
Schindler said the $5,149,871 project is being paid for through the Franklin Transportation Improvement Program, a combination of state and federal money that annually comes to the region.
Five easements are temporary and five are permanent. Reinig said the temporary easements are for land necessary to store equipment and vehicles during construction. The permanent easements, she said, will enable workers to make the road leading up the bridge smoother and safer and to add a sidewalk. The bridge is closed to vehicular traffic and the established detour will remain during proposed construction.
Public Works Superintendent Joshua Knechtel said he expects construction to start in the spring.
The three-span bridge will consist of new steel beams supporting a concrete deck with asphalt pavement and will provide a 10-foot lane and a 2-foot shoulder in each direction and a single 5-foot, 6-inch sidewalk on the west side, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s website.
The special town meeting was originally scheduled for Saturday morning but lack of a quorum forced a postponement to Monday night.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 258. On Twitter: @DomenicPoli