The Vermont Craigslist “free stuff” page is full of treasures. Recent listings include a piano, a set of studded snow tires, and a male pig used for breeding who is described as “a gentleman to his ladies but gets the job done!”
But one listing posted on Monday jumped out as particularly odd, not to mention difficult to cart away: Bridge No. 150, which stretches over the Winooski River between Burlington and the Onion City.
“Historic Bridge Available,” the listing reads. Size/dimensions: 359 feet long. Condition: “Salvage.” Make/Manufacturer: 1928.
The Winooski River Bridge, one of the state’s most heavily traveled, is scheduled to be replaced in a major infrastructure project that will disrupt traffic, beginning next year, between the two Vermont cities.
In a quirk of regulations for projects receiving Federal Highway Administration funds, the Vermont Agency of Transportation is required to advertise historic bridges for free before moving forward with demolition.
“We used to advertise in hardcopy papers,” said Judith Ehrlich, the agency’s historic preservation officer. “We thought we might hear more from people if we tried doing it on something like Craigslist.”
The agency has been posting free bridges on Craigslist for a couple of years, Ehrlich said, but have yet to find any takers. So far, no one has raised their hand this time around, she said, aside from one message asking, “Can I move it tomorrow?”
Ehrlich acknowledged that it’s a bit of a hard sell. The bridge itself is free, but the new owner will be responsible for relocating it and constructing new bridge abutments and piers at its new home. It’s too big to move in a single piece, so it would have to be broken up, she said.
“The bridge we’re looking at now is awfully big,” Ehrlich said. “There’s a pretty finite number of areas where this could be used. But if somebody wanted it, it’s available.”
The listing will remain active for 30 days, Ehrlich said.
Interested parties are invited to email the Vermont Agency of Transportation via Craigslist.
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