Two towns have announced plans to write New Hampshire transportation officials to request that the bridge connecting the two towns be repaired and reopened.
The spandrel-arch Vilas Bridge over the Connecticut River that connects Rockingham, Vermont, and Walpole, New Hampshire, has been closed since it failed an inspection in 2009.
The Brattleboro Reformer reports that Rockingham Select Board member Stefan Golec says if this bridge fails it will take the sewer line that services Walpole with it.
In addition to the environmental risks, merchants in the village of Bellows Falls say business has slowed since the bridge closed.
New Hampshire owns about 75% of the bridge and historically has been responsible for paying for the bulk of maintenance.
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