Popple Dungeon bridge construction falls behind schedule

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC

A nine-week bridge construction job in Chester may stretch to 12 if the company doing the work up on Popple Dungeon Road has its way.

According to Town Manager Julie Hance, Alpine Construction of Schuylerville, N.Y., has asked for three more weeks to finish the installation of a bridge across the South Branch of the Williams River just west of Zezza Road. A construction schedule put together by Alpine shows that at the beginning of August, concrete on the east abutment should have been curing. But as of Aug. 1, no forms or rebar were in place to even pour the concrete. See photo above.

The original schedule allowed five extra day for the town crew take down the temporary bridge rented from the State of Vermont. That phase was completed in two and a half days, giving Alpine a head start. The period that the road was to be closed was from June 13 to Aug. 21.

Hance told The Telegraph that Alpine “has got to show me why three more weeks are needed” and that the town would not be paying any more money for the continuing work. Hance confirmed that she had been told that Alpine’s construction schedule was a “worst case” projection. But, Hance added, John Conley of Alpine, recently told Hance that the schedule was based on everything happening exactly when planned.

Calls to Conley’s office and cell phone were not returned at publication time.