Spring Street Bridge Gets Repairs

The town recently completed a project to repair and reinforce the iconic Spring Street bridge near Case Mountain. 

The town "unveiled" the recently repairs bridge during a ceremony Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, near the site of the repairs. 

Public Works Director Mark Carlino said the town reinforced the existing bridge, which was built in 1905, and added stops signs at both entrances to the one-way bridge that spans Mountain Brook; previously, yield signs were in place. 

The town at one point was eligible for about $700,000 in funding assistance from the State of Connecticut if it opted to fully replace the historic bridge, but the Manchester Board of Directors turned that project down because it would have cost the town an estimated $2 million. 
The funds to repair the bridge were part of a $12 million bond referendum approved by voters in November of 2011. Initially, the project was expected to cost the town about $600,000, but Carlino said the final cost for the project was closer to $350,000. 

"We got some very good bids on that," he said.