To put this story in context…the Superintendent of Region One IS THE BRIDGE between the large and small towns of Region One….and her pay should remain proportioned the way it is now….just like the formula for the bridge between Falls Village and Salisbury.

First Selectman Patricia A. Mechare told the Board of Finance that Black and Warner, the low bidder for the replacement of the Water Street Bridge (also known as the Amesville Bridge in Salisbury), has backed out.

The next lowest bidder is New England Fabricators. The bridge, which spans the Housatonic River between Salisbury and Falls Village, has been closed for several years due to its deteriorating condition.
Salisbury First Selectman Curtis G. Rand said the cost would be $2.8 million. He said they are hoping to sign the contract any day now. The state and federal governments will pay 80 percent of the cost and the two towns will split the remaining 20 percent; three-fourths for Salisbury and one fourth for Falls Village.
The project will have several parts: getting the old bridge out, fixing the abutments and drilling new piles behind them, putting the trusses together and paving. The new span, which will be 20 feet wide, six feet wider than the current one, will be constructed off site.
The plan is to have the builders work seven days a week to complete the project before winter sets in. The Appalachian Trail, which crosses the river there, will be rerouted during the work.