With any luck, the Vermillion Hills footbridge on Vermont Lane could be refurbished in the coming months.
On Monday, the Falls Supervisors unanimously voted in favor of awarding the contract to ABC Construction pending a favorable outcome of the responsible contractor review period.
Township engineer Joseph Jones said the $72,500 bid was “well below the budget” of $225,000 that had been earmarked for the project.
“This has been a long time coming,” Supervisors Chairman Jeff Dence said.
Jones had worked with the township to twice bid the project and received no project bids.
This time around, Jones received a “bonified bid” for what he describes as a “robust scope” of work. The contractor is expected to begin work later this summer, removing the bridge and sending it offsite to be sandblasted, repainted, have the handrails re-established, and the footings reconstructed. Limited clearing of the site will also be undertaken, and the plaque will be reassembled, Jones said.
A resident built the footbridge years ago in memory of Craig Doster, who had died of cancer. Marta Grothman, a teacher at Manor Elementary, had approached the township about potentially restoring the bridge and clearing the bushes, trees, and brush, as part of a school project. Given the footbridge’s proximity to the creek and the possible danger associated with working on a streambank in need of stabilization, Jones said the project would require some engineering work. Keeping the community safe is of the utmost importance.
The footbridge is located near another footbridge that Falls Township had replaced several years ago.
