Middlefield officials have decided to postpone repair work on the Miller Road bridge until next spring to accommodate the heavier fall traffic expected with the apple crop season at Lyman Orchards and the Durham Fair.
The repair work had originally been scheduled to be completed this summer but a three month delay in the bridge replacement work along Route 147 prompted First Selectman Jon Brayshaw to push the project back.
"By doing the Miller Road bridge at this time, it offers all kinds of potential for problems," Brayshaw said.
Brayshaw worried that having both bridges closed at the same time, possibly even during the Durham Fair scheduled for Sept. 26-29, would cause significant back up.
He met with DOT officials earlier this month to discuss delaying the repairs. Together, officials determined there's no safety risk in postponing the project until next spring.
"The bridge is not in imminent danger," Brayshaw said. "It doesn't put this pressure on us to finish, finish, finish, before the Durham Fair."
Bids for the work were due July 19. Middlefield has received a $250,000 STEAP grant to pay for the cost of the repairs.
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