(Host) One of the key issues of this year's gubernatorial campaign is the condition of Vermont's transportation infrastructure.

Progressive candidate Anthony Pollina says the sudden closing of a bridge in Middlesex symbolizes the failed policies of the Douglas Administration.

VPRs Bob Kinzel reports:

(Kinzel) The steel truss bridge spans the Winooski River in Middlesex and was build just after the 1927 flood. It's on Route 2, a state highway that connects Montpelier and Waterbury.

The bridge was closed late last week when engineers determined that a series of rust holes could result in the collapse of the entire structure.

Sarah Howard works at the Middlesex General Store. It's located about a mile from the bridge. She says the closing of the bridge has many local people upset:

(Howard) "It's inconvenient for a lot of people because it extends their trip from work and they have to go around go on the Interstate. A lot of people don't like to go on the Interstate. They prefer you know to take Route 2. It adds a lot of extra miles and it makes it a problem for a lot of people."

(Kinzel) Howard says it was very clear to local residents that the bridge was in very bad shape:

(Howard) "The support was already kind of cracking you could see it and then it finally gave way so it's a good thing they closed it safety wise but it's just not convenient and it probably should have been done a long time ago that's what people really talk about."

(Kinzel) Progressive gubernatorial candidate Anthony Pollina says the Douglas Administration has failed to comprehensively address the state's crumbing transportation infrastructure and he says this bridge is a perfect example of that neglect:

(Pollina) "Essentially what the current governor is doing is he is pushing the real costs off onto a future governor future legislators and taxpayers.........we're going to be stuck holding the bag for this crumbling infrastructure."

(Kinzel) Transportation Secretary Neal Lunderville disputes Pollina's allegations. He says it's going to take some time to solve a problem that's been years in the making and he says redirecting his agency's resources to this effort has been a top priority for several years:

(Lunderville) "It is going to take years of steady effort year after year of focusing our money on the right things that is preventative maintenance of our existing road bridges and culverts to get us out from the situation that has taken us decades to get into."

(Kinzel) Pollina has proposed a $75 million bond to deal with the state's transportation problems. It's financed, in part, by eliminating Vermont's capital gains tax exemption. Lunderville says higher taxes aren't the solution.

(Lunderville) "Sure you could put 100, 200 300 million dollar bond out there but if you can't pay it back you're going to jeopardize the financial stability of this state which is an option that the governor will not allow to occur."

(Kinzel) But Pollina argues that the governor is taking a shortsighted view of this issue:

(Pollina) "Everybody knows when they see a bridge that is crumbling it's taxpayers that are going to pay the bill we can either pay it today or we can pay it tomorrow and if we pay it tomorrow we're going to pay twice as much."

(Kinzel) State officials plan to demolish the bridge in about a month and replace it with a temporary one lane structure. They're hoping that the temporary bridge can be put into place by early September.

(Kinzel) For VPR News I'm Bob Kinzel in Montpelier.