Bridge Reconstruction Eagle Project - Noah Masotta

My name is Noah Masotta and I am a Life Scout from Troop 270 in Newtown and currently working on completing the rank of Eagle Scout. For my Eagle Project, I am rebuilding the footbridge at the Bent of the River Audubon in Southbury. I first worked on this bridge in 2021 for a service project with my troop. We were tasked with replacing the rope railings which had frayed to the point that they were unsafe. While completing this work I noted that the posts for the railings, along with the rest of the bridge, were starting to rot. This is because the bridge was constructed entirely from natural cedar logs from the Audubon's property. Now in 2024, the beams that make up the bridge are rotten, the decking is warped, the railings and posts are barely hanging on, and the bridge is being supported by a temporary 4x4 post where the bridge began to fail.

This bridge is used daily by the many visitors to the Audubon and its replacement would be a benefit to many. I plan on demolishing the bridge and building a new one from the ground up, but this time with proper gravel footings with retaining walls, a frame built from pressure treated lumber, and solid wood railings to ensure that the new bridge will be safe and last for decades to come. My design has been reviewed and approved by a licensed structural engineer and the project has been approved by the CT Yankee Council.

To complete this hefty task, I would like to ask for your donations to facilitate purchase of all of the lumber, hardware, and gravel necessary to complete the bridge. I have calculated the cost of these materials, along with a small amount of extra to cover any unforeseen costs to be $3,500. Any money leftover when the project is complete will be donated to the Audubon for use on future projects.

My goal is to begin work during May and have the bridge completed by June. For this reason, I would like to have fundraising complete in early April so that I can begin purchasing materials and setting work dates. There will be a temporary bypass trail constructed to minimize disruption to the trail system while the bridge is being constructed.

Thank you in advance for your donations and I look forward to bringing this project to fruition!