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By TRAVIS ROBERTS
SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Reconstruction of the Wakefield pedestrian foot bridge is still under way after a series of snags that came to light in August have continued to cause delays. “We have no date for completion yet, we are hoping for the first of the year,” said Public Services Director Jon Schock.
The bridge, which crosses over the Saugatucket River and connects Main Street to Saugatucket Field and Wakefield School, is heavily used by students and citizens alike. The project initially began in June after school ended and town officials hoped it would be completed by Sept. 1, however, a few different issues arose, with the most recent being a problem with the pillars. “The problem is that we found [the pillar] tops were rotted and with the weight of the bridge it couldn’t be supported. So we had to redesign, we just couldn’t do a repair.” In August the town had to halt work for the first time after finding loose organic soils and peat located under the cement approach to the bridge. “It was strong enough to support the old structure, but not strong enough for the new structure so it had to be replaced.”
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