Sidewalk super Juddy Calder, an 18-year resident of New Portland, has the honor of cutting the ribbon for the grand reopening of the new Bartlett Bridge for which residents have been waiting since May. Calder, whose house sits right up from the bridge, has been involved in the bridge construction as a “Sidewalk Superintendent” since construction began, visiting the site almost daily. “I have followed this right through, right to the end and that’s why they asked me if I wanted to be the fellow who cut the ribbon. I am very honored.” Calder couldn’t offer enough praise for the construction crew. “They really worked on what they were doing. These construction fellows have worked so hard and have done one helleva job.” (Contributed photo) NEW PORTLAND — The six long months of the Bartlett Bridge at the North Village being closed ended on Friday, Nov. 6 when it finally reopened to traffic.

Town manager Staci Rundlett said Friday that a lot of residents were initially very upset when the new bridge over Gilman Stream didn’t open on the scheduled date of Oct. 15, but finally “it’s done.”

The dedication for renaming the new bridge in memory of Lance Cpl. Joshua Benard who was killed earlier this year in Afghanistan will have to wait until it’s approved by the Legislature in January, said Rundlett.

For resident Virginia LaNoce the reopening is “a godsend.” LaNoce and her husband, John Bertl, live just at the top of the hill above the bridge and are building a new home on the other side of it, which they could see but had to travel 10 miles to reach.

Diane Pease, who lives on the other side of the bridge, earlier this year spoke about how difficult it was for her to go an extra 10 miles just to get the mail; before the bridge was closed the post office was only a mile away.

The bridge is beautiful, said LaNoce on Friday, so wide with study guardrails.

Not only have the residents looked forward to using Route 16 but so have trailer trucks which have had to make their way either down Route 234 into New Vineyard and then up Route 27 or go through the winding Katie Crotch Road where several accidents have occurred.

Pat Pray, who has traveled an extra six miles and 10 minutes from Lexington to get to her job at Jordan Lumber Company in Kingfield every day for six months, said Friday, “I will be very happy to go home tonight across the new bridge and avoid that detour.”