ANDOVER — A skidder bridge has been placed over Akers Bridge on Wyman Hill Road, once again allowing heavy vehicles access for emergency, fuel and other services to the 10 homes on the road.
Selectman Jane Rich said Swasey Excavation of Andover installed the bridge Aug. 12, allowing vehicles weighing up to 10 tons to safely cross a small stream to reach the 20 or so residents.
The town paid $1,500 for the temporary span, which was placed over the 15-foot- long rusted steel Akers Bridge, which town officials closed a few weeks ago to vehicles weighing no more than five tons, Rich said. The decision followed an inspection by state officials.
At the Aug. 9 selectmen meeting, residents questioned what was being done about getting the bridge repaired or replaced.
“Just because you haven’t seen anything happening doesn’t mean that nothing is happening,” Rich told them. She said building a bridge requires engineering plans, bids, a contract and money.
She said the county has a portable bridge the town could use but it wouldn’t be available for two months.
“The temporary bridge wouldn’t be ready for two months?” resident Leon Lewis asked. “My gas is going to run out and once the gas runs out there’s no hot water and there’s no place to cook. I can’t live there if that happens.”
Resident Jack Miserocci said he was concerned his insurance would be dropped because firetrucks couldn’t get to his home. His wife, Betty, encouraged selectmen to “install a skidder bridge over there so that when the oil man needs to come up they can come up, and then maybe get the temporary bridge when it’s available.”
The board got the skidder bridge temporarily, while it pursues a permanent span.
In other business, the board will consider what action to take regarding unpaid fees for tire disposal at the transfer station. Treasurer Barbara Simmons said some residents are not paying the fee.
Resident William Bernard complained about the noise from lawn tractor races at Grimaldi Field near his home. He said selectmen had told him they would move the races to another part of the field or to another field after the Andover Old Home Days celebration.
“I’m hearing now that there is no intent of moving the track but that’s not what you people told me a couple weeks ago,” Bernard said.
“I can’t live a good life there if they’re going to have it three times a year.” He said the noise is “unbearable.”
Rich said selectmen would restrict the field to races only, banning practice sessions.
When Bernard questioned why the races couldn’t be moved farther out in the field, Selectman Jim Adler said the field was being used for hay.
“I guess the long story short is, the best we can do is stop them from practicing,” Adler said.
mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net
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