Johnson Covered Bridge Bid Deadlines Set

 

September 5, 2001 - On September 4th the Powerhouse Bridge committee met to review a draft of the Scope of Work prepared by the state Structures Engineering Department. With a few basic changes being made we are in hopes of putting the project back to bid during the week of September 17th.

We are on track for a bid deadline of November 5th and hope to have a contractor selected within the following week. The contractor will be selected based on a number of factors including price, experience, design, and willingness to allow community involvement.

Once a contractor has been selected, we will determine what boards and timbers may be harvested from local trees, and promptly harvest and mill the necessary material. We look forward to organizing a weekend in May when local folks can pitch in and be a part of the reconstruction of the bridge. The construction is scheduled to be completed June 15th 2002.

The completed bridge will very closely resemble the bridge that collapsed in March, with the most visible change being a standing seam metal roof, compared to the cedar shingled roof that was on the previous bridge. The metal roof will allow the snow to slide freely and help prevent overloading of the structure.

The Queenpost construction will aesthetically resemble the old bridge but will not be expected to carry the load of the traffic. The new bridge will rely on the main steel support rails to carry the live load of the traffic, with the queenpost frame being designed to carry the dead load of the walls and roof.

Daryl West
Committee Chair