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From left, Lebanon Mayor Doug Whittlesey, Lebanon Interim City Manager Jack Wozmak, New Hampshire Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon, New Hampshire Department of Transportation Commissioner Bill Cass and Lebanon City Councilor Chris Simon discuss plans for replacing the South Main Street dry bridge during a tour of area transportation projects in West Lebanon, N.H., on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Whittlesey said the city is stuck between two bad options when it comes to construction of a new bridge, due in large part to constraints from the state and the railroad. “We’re the bottom of the funnel in a lot of ways,” he said in regard to the decision-making process. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus) -
From left, Public Works Director Jay Cairelli and City Engineer Brian Vincent give a presentation on the dry bridge replacement project while City Councilors Tim McNamera and Laurel Stavis listen during a Lebanon City Council Meeting at City Hall in Lebanon, N.H., on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Councilors decided to close the dry bridge for about a year during construction instead of leaving it open to traffic, which would have extended the project’s timeline and increased costs. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus) -
Members of the public listen to a presentation about the dry bridge replacement project during a Lebanon City Council Meeting at City Hall in Lebanon, N.H., on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus) -
Members of the public tune in remotely as Vanessa Perron, left, who owns a business on Main Street in West Lebanon, makes comments to the City Council during a meeting at City Hall in Lebanon, N.H., on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Perron was undecided on whether the bridge should remain open or closed during construction, but she was adamant that work on the bridge should start soon to limit further cost increases. “Stop dragging your feet,” she said. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus) -
Deputy City Manager David Brooks holds out a microphone for Gary Varnese, of West Lebanon, as he makes a comment during a Lebanon City Council Meeting at City Hall in Lebanon, N.H., on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Varnese expressed frustration at the amount of influence the railroad has over the construction of a new dry bridge, despite not owning the land on which they operate. “Why does the lessee have the right to tell the owner what the hell to do?” he asked. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus)
LEBANON — The dry bridge connecting the Route 12A plazas to downtown West Lebanon will be closed to vehicle traffic for a year to accommodate construction, the City Council decided in a unanimous decision Wednesday night.
With the council’s go-ahead, contractors will be asked to submit bids in September that include the bridge being closed to vehicles. The 76-year-old bridge, which crosses over train tracks, is on a key artery connecting downtown West Lebanon to Route 12A. It hosts about 9,400 cars per day.
There is no timeline yet for the bridge closure, City Engineer Brian Vincent said Thursday morning. That decision will largely be left up to the contractor who takes on the project.
Closing the bridge during construction is expected to save the city about $1 million and shorten the overall construction timeline by about seven months, Vincent said in the Wednesday night meeting.
Most residents at the City Council meeting supported closing the bridge. City Council and staff said they also hope the change will make the project more appealing to bidders. The council approved this approach after weighing feedback from residents.
The City Council scheduled Wednesday’s public input session after learning that the New England Central Railroad, which leases the tracks below the bridge will not agree to any disruptions to rail operations during construction.
The railroad company’s stance had changed from its position in earlier negotiations, city officials said.
Not being able to close the tracks adds significant complications for contractors who will now have to navigate train traffic below the bridge with only 15 minutes notice, Vincent said.
Given the recent change, residents at Wednesday’s session were asked to weigh in on whether they favor seeing the bridge closed or keeping it open during construction.
Resident and Economic Development Commission Chairman Dan Nash, a longtime Lebanon engineer, said he is “strongly in favor” of closing the bridge because of “how difficult it is to work on a project with people in the way.”
He said he expects the difficult building conditions would only make things more expensive.
Construction is expected to cost about $12 million, which will be divided among the city, state and federal governments. The total project budget including engineering, design, permitting and construction is about $21 million, with the city on the hook for about 25%.
In addition to the construction issues, residents discussed the impact to their daily lives.
Emmett Frank, who lives in West Lebanon and is chairman of the West Lebanon Revitalization Advisory Committee said he prefers closing the bridge because of the predictability of the disruption compared to unknown traffic delays if the bridge is left open.
“There’s no telling if it’s going to be a 10-minute delay, an hour delay,” Frank said. “How do you plan around that as a commuter — someone who has a set schedule of getting their kids to school on time and then trying to get to work themselves on time?”
Closing the bridge might also create pressure to keep the project on schedule, Frank added.
The bridge has been in need of repair for more than 30 years and is on the state’s “red list” of bridges in poor condition. It was suddenly closed for about a month for emergency repairs in March when an inspection found deterioration, including of the pavement and structural supports.
During that closure, traffic was routed through a roughly 2-mile-long detour up Seminary Hill and either back down Glen Road via a one-lane underpass or over Interstate 89 to reach Route 12A from old West Lebanon, causing slow downs on the local road.
Some residents who said they support the closure requested that city staff find different ways to reroute traffic through town or consider adding controls like a temporary traffic light at the intersection of Seminary Hill and Glen Road.
Other residents said no matter how it happens they would like to see the bridge replaced soon.
“This bridge needs to get done one way or the other but get it done, stop dragging your feet,” Route 12A business owner Vanessa Perron told the council. Perron, who said she was “born and raised on South Main Street,” said she was undecided on whether or not to close the bridge, but is frustrated by how much control the railroad has had in the process.
Representatives from the school district and Advance Transit were also invited to weigh in on the decision.
The Lebanon School District had to move a bus stop for eight families living near the bridge during the March closure. The district would easily be able to make this change again if the bridge is closed, Superintendent Amy Allen told the council.
Also in March, the Advance Transit bus system had to close four stops to avoid the bridge, but AT Executive Director Adams Carroll said the “biggest issue with the last closure was really the unexpected nature of it.”
With more notice, AT will be able to update its maps, schedules and website to ensure that both riders and drivers are aware of the change ahead of time, Carroll told the council. But, Carroll asked the city to try to work around ongoing construction on Interstate 89 to avoid delays on its detour route that uses the highway.
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation has two active construction projects on I-89 in Lebanon to repair bridges over the Connecticut River, Mechanic Street and the Mascoma River.
Clare Shanahan can be reached at cshanahan@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.
