The Ledyard Bridge, Hanover's much-delayed, controversial link with Vermont, will be complete by the middle or the end of next month, according to Bob Ayers, project manager at Moores Marine Construction Company.
Under construction since the spring of 1996 -- before members of the Class of 2000 first arrived on campus -- the project has gone through numerous delays, budget overruns and the pullout of its original contractor, Midway Construction, due to financial problems.
The bridge, though visually imposing, will not be wide enough for four lanes. The original design called for a 68-foot width, but that was hotly debated on both sides of the Connecticut River.
Residents in both Vermont and New Hampshire worried that a wider bridge would bring in more traffic to the area, as well as negatively impact the local environment.
A political battle ensued, and Vermont Governor Howard Dean threatened to withdraw Vermont's support for the project, which forced a compromise. Almost five years later, the project finally seems near completion.
The original scheduled completion date of October 1998 was revised to August 1, 1999 after the switch to Moores Marine Construction. Ayers said the slight delays since then have been largely due to "all the rainy days."
The budget for the project has been somewhat problematic, with total costs swelling "eight or 10 percent" above the budgeted figure of $11.2 million allocated to the project, according to Ayers.
Another difficulty, Ayers said, was that "the piers had to go very deep " about 70 feet. The river near there is 55 feet deep, then you have to go below the riverbed."
Throughout its building process, local interest in the bridge has been fueled not only by its delays and cost, but also by the eye-catching design which includes several large stone spheres.
Many residents seem to have an opinion about the effectiveness, offensiveness, or meaning of these large adornments.
"Those balls? I love them," said one area woman.
Another creative local -- a 30-year resident of Hanover -- suggested that the balls represent "Lovely Bubbles in the Air," a song by Lawrence Welk.
But some are disappointed in the balls, with one local student remarking that they are "too San Francisco-y, and too much money. They try to say 'Metropolitan Hanover' or something. I don't get it."
But Ayers defended the bridge his construction company is still working to complete.
"I think it's a beautiful bridge," he said.
