A Coos Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of the state

A Coos Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of the state in an eminent domain case brought five years ago by a Lancaster couple, who argue that the state’s taking of nearly an acre of their land to build a new bridge between Lancaster and Guildhall along Route 2 was unneeded and adversely impacted their property. The ruling issued on Tuesday follows a court hearing on Oct. 13. The case stems from a 2013 decision when the Governor and Council appointed a commission to study the replacement of the Rogers’ Rangers Bridge that spans the Connecticut River. NHDOT planned to build the new bridge 30 feet north of the former bridge and, in 2014, sent notice to Shane and Trina Beattie, the abutting property owners, informing them that the state might need to acquire part of their property or be within close proximity to it.