Town officials continue to explore ways to better protect the Mt. Orne Covered Bridge

LANCASTER — Town officials continue to explore ways to better protect the Mt. Orne Covered Bridge, which remains closed to traffic after a bridge strike last month. Selectwoman Kathy-Jean Lavoie and Town Manager Ben Gaetjens-Oleson met with the N.H. Department of Transportation on Wednesday for preliminary talks on bridge protections. Additional signage, bridge barriers, driver warning lights, and security camera systems were among the ideas discussed, Lavoie said. Lavoie and Gaetjens-Oleson will continue to meet with DOT to develop a refined list of mitigation strategies for the Mt. Orne Covered Bridge. If all goes as planned, DOT-recommended solutions will be presented to the full Select Board for consideration at a later date. The Mt. Orne bridge was struck and damaged by an oversized vehicle on Nov. 10.