BARRINGTON -- The state Department of Transportation has applied for several state and federal permits to rebuild the Barrington River Bridge on County Road, one of two bridges in the area it plans to replace.
Construction on the bridge could begin as early as next summer, DOT officials said yesterday.
Kazem Farhoumand, the DOT's chief bridge engineer, said the state will apply for permits to replace the second bridge, on the Barrington/Warren line farther down County Road, at the end of 2003.
"We wanted to put forth one bridge project at a time," Farhoumand said. "We're still working on some constructability issues [for the town bridge], but we have completed 90 percent of the design."
The DOT has filed applications with the Army Corps of Engineers, the state Department of Environmental Management, the state Coastal Resources Management Council and the U.S. Coast Guard. The DOT has also requested opinions from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the National Fisheries Council and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The $12-million project will remove and replace the existing bridge while commuters continue to use a temporary bridge nearby, which was built more than five years ago.
Storage for construction equipment, as well as a field office, will be at the site of the town's former police station on County Road,located at the foot of the bridge. Farhoumand has said the location is essential for the DOT to complete its project efficiently.
The DOT can also use the public boat ramp and dock on the property -- while keeping it open to the public -- to load barges with equipment.
The new bridge will increase the number of arches supporting the Barrington River Bridge from five to seven to improve the flushing of the river. Decorative street lights and open railings, rather than the concrete walls used on the old bridge, are part of the plans to give the bridge aesthetic appeal, as well as give pedestrians and drivers a view.
The final step will be to remove the temporary bridge. When the equipment and field site is removed, the DOT will then help the town crete a public waterfront park. The entire project is expected to take about two years.
"We are working on getting an agreement together [between DOT and town officials]," Farhoumand said. "They [town officials] still have some minor concerns and will be putting it in writing and sending it to us soon. They had some minor questions previously and I have answered those questions."
The town has concerns with the Warren/Barrington line bridge over the Palmer River, such as which decorative street lights will be used.
For several months, Barrington officials have said they want an old-fashioned style light like those used along County Road's business section. Warren, however, has asked for a different style light for the bridge that compliments its historic section of town.
The DOT has also sent a letter to the state Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission for its opinion.
"It has not been resolved," Farhoumand said. "Half of the bridge is in Barrington, so we all must agree together. We [the DOT] do not have a problem with either lighting."
The DOT plans to have the Barrington River Bridge project go out to bid in February.
