New covered bridge likely to be finished in October

By Patricia Pastore
The Tribune-Star

April 10, 2006 10:52 pm

— A few weeks short of the anniversary of the arson of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge, the Bridgeton Bridge Association has accepted a bid of $125,000 to build a new covered bridge.
A team picked to select the design of the bridge and overlook bids had been meeting since a couple of months after the old bridge was destroyed a year ago.
It looked at four bids ranging from $125,000 to $279,000 before recommending the bid from Dave Waters of The Beamery in northern Indiana and Dan Collom, a contractor and sawyer from Bridgeton, said Jim Meece, a Parke County commissioner and team member.
The old bridge, built in 1868, was destroyed by an arsonist last April 28.
Mike Roe, owner of the Bridgeton Grist Mill, believes a new bridge will breathe new life into this tiny Victorian community, he said Monday.
“I’m excited,” he said. “They are setting up portable, Wood-Mizer saw mills now. If all the bids had been the same, I’d have picked this team of contractors. It’s an Indiana team. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
The portable saw mills will be brought to Bridgeton where the sawyers will begin Saturday sawing the logs into specific pieces of lumber for the bridge, Meece said.
Bridge construction is expected to begin in June or sooner if the timber sawing is completed, Meece said.
The design and construction team for the new bridge brought its recommendation to the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Association on Saturday, Meece said. After discussion, the Bridge Association voted to accept the team’s recommendation.
“I’m confident with this team of Waters and Collom because it is headed up by a local man who is deeply committed to building the covered bridge and doing it correctly,” Meece said. “I also have absolute confidence in our engineers.”
The target date for completion is October.
Meece said the goal is to have the new bridge up in time for the 50th Parke County Covered Bridge Festival celebration. The Bridgeton Covered Bridge Association needs to raise more money to pay for the completion of this bridge, Meece said. He said fundraisers will be on going throughout this year.
Anyone willing to help raise funds should call (765) 548-4095, Bart Barnes, treasurer of the Bridgeton Bridge Association; or Meece at (765) 498-1811.
“We need volunteers to help with the timber cutters and to help build the bridge,” Roe said. Anyone who wants to volunteer can call him at the mill during the day (765) 548-0106 or in the evening at (812) 877-9550.
Patricia Pastore can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or pat.pastore@tribstar.com.

You can help:
— Anyone willing to help raise funds for the new Bridgeton Covered Bridge should call Bart Barnes, treasurer of the Bridgeton Bridge Association, at (765) 548-4095; or Parke County Commissioner Jim Meece at (765) 498-1811.