Walpole and Bellows Falls to Discuss Closed Vilas Bridge

Officials from two towns across the river from each other further south on the Connecticut are reaching across the divide to discuss wastewater and a closed bridge. The bridge in question is the Vilas Bridge, which closed in March of 2009 and officials announced in late January of this year that the bridge would likely remain closed to vehicular traffic.

However the bridge is still being used, but not by vehicles. The span supports a large pipe that carries wastewater from Walpole to Bellows Falls, where it is processed at treatment facilities.

Now, the Eagle Times reports that Walpole and Bellows Falls officials are signing another inter-local agreement to continue delivering wastewater across the historic bridge and to bring Rockingham into a tri-board discussion to place emphasis on the structural integrity of the bridge. If the bridge were to fail, it could pollute the Connecticut River and hamper the transport of wastewater across the river.

Officials in both towns are seeking solutions to continue using the current system and want an open discussion on the bridge. The Vilas Bridge was built in 1930 and spans 635 feet across the Connecticut River.