Expect delays Wednesday night on Route 3 in Tilton during bridge move

TILTON — Motorists will be stopped Wednesday night for 5 to 10 minute intervals on Route 3/East Main Street, as Island Bridge is removed via crane and transported in four pieces on flatbed trucks as part of the bridge’s path to restoration.

Beginning around 7 p.m. and lasting for one hour, crews will work to remove the bridge at 253 E. Main, as part of the final phases of a multi-year effort to restore the structure. The closure will take place in short intervals, when traffic will be stopped for safety reasons.

“We’ll do it in intervals. We’ll make the first lift, it will take about 15 minutes from lift to placement on the truck, and then we’ll let traffic go,” explained Scott E. Hilliard, town administrator. “Then we’ll set up for the second lift. We’ll do the second lift, hold traffic, etc. We’ll do that four times in an hour, hopefully.”

Arnold M. Graton Associates was contracted to remove the bridge and transport the pieces to the nearby contractor’s site, where restoration activities will take place.

“The Board of Selectmen are excited to restore this beautiful, historic bridge and access to Tilton Island by Fall of 2026,” read a statement in a June 2025 press release published by town administrators.

Hilliard echoed those sentiments during a Tuesday phone call with The Laconia Daily Sun.

“It’s a historic piece of property, and we’re making history by doing it,” he said.

Contractors say it could take a year to restore the bridge to its former glory, but Hilliard hopes for an April 2026 completion date.

Given the bridge’s historical role in the community, the Town of Tilton endeavored to fund a facelift for the decaying structure beginning in 2022.

The original 2022 Island Bridge Preservation Plan, available at tiltonnh.org, found the bridge was in overall good condition, with specific concerning areas in need of “urgent attention.” The report states, “If left unaddressed, these conditions could potentially threaten the bridge’s structural integrity and could lead to a decision to close the bridge for reasons of safety.”

In their quest for funding, town leaders received a $500,000 grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Parks Service, Department of the Interior. With the help of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), town staff secured that grant, which covers the majority of the $524,800 price tag.

“The project was originally predicted to be much higher,” Hilliard said. “We’re going to do the whole job, including restoration and replacement, for $524,800, instead of roughly $1.2 million.”

The remaining $24,800 will be funded through a bridge restoration line item in the municipal budget, where monies have been set aside. Additionally, a donation line item for the project was added, which a few people have contributed to.

The bridge, built in 1881 and spanning 83 feet, is one of the few remaining cast iron bridges in the United States, and boasts historical significance worth preserving.

“It is a very historic piece of property. It’s been in place since 1881. It services access to the island from East Main Street in Tilton, at 253 Main St. across from Cumberland Farms. It’s a very great spot to go sit and unwind, un-consume your day and have a picnic. For many of us, we remember going over there as a kid and swimming.”

Alternative travel routes are advised. Motorists can travel from Park Street to Elm Street and Bay Hill Road. For commuters traveling westbound, town staff suggest taking Route 140 to Shaker Road in Northfield to Bay Hill Road.

To read the full advisory, visit tiltonnh.org.