New England 8, April 12, 2023

Volvo CE Dealer in New England Expands Territory With Acquisition

Chadwick-BaRoss Inc., a well-established member of the Volvo Construction Equipment dealer network for Maine and New Hampshire, is expanding its footprint in the Northeast with the acquisition of the Volvo and SDLG assets of Woodco Machinery Inc. Woodco has long served as the exclusive Volvo CE dealer for eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Through the deal, which took effect on April 1, Chadwick now becomes the Volvo CE exclusive dealer for the territory. Chadwick will offer a full suite of Volvo machines and services through its existing and future locations in these states.

“We thank the Benard family, who owned and operated Woodco Machinery, for their four-decade partnership with Volvo Construction Equipment, and we appreciate their service and commitment as a Volvo dealer,” said Stephen Roy, president of Region North America, Volvo CE.

“I’m excited to grow our relationship with ChadwickBaRoss,” he added. “They offer exceptional experience,

Chadwick-BaRoss is acquiring the Volvo and SDLG assets of Woodco Machinery. Chadwick’s existing territory (light green) now expands into eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island (dark green).

presence and customer service, and I know that their strong performance will continue in their newly expanded territory.”

Chadwick-BaRoss has been providing equipment in New England for nearly 100 years and offers new and used machines for purchase and rent in a variety of applications, including construction, forestry, public works, and waste and recycling.

“Volvo is a highly respected name among our customers, and we’ve had great success with Volvo products in Maine and New Hampshire,” said Jim Maxwell, president of Chadwick-BaRoss. “I’m excited to bring Volvo machines and Chadwick-BaRoss service and support to our new customers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.” 

Ahearn Equipment Becomes Official AUSA Dealer for Locations in Mass., N.H.

Ahearn Equipment has been named the official AUSA distributor for its two locations in Spencer, Mass., and Hudson, N.H. For more than 65 years, AUSA has been a leading construction equipment manufacturer located in Spain. The company has had a presence in the United States since 2014.

The company originally made its mark in the manufacturing of roughterrain forklifts, which it distributes worldwide. AUSA’s forklifts are compact, powerful and versatile, and their reduced size and small turning radius give them enhanced maneuverability

on even the steepest hillsides, according to the company. They are available in six sizes, ranging from 3,000 to 11,000 lbs.

In recent years, AUSA has released a wide range of articulated side dumpers that are available in a wide variety of sizes to fit the needs of any project.

stk# 26327, 653 Hrs, ROPS, Deutz diesel, single drum vibratory, good rubber, like new condition..............................................$64,500

2018 HAMM H7I

2014 DEERE 60G stk# 27845, 1400 hrs, hyd thumb, 24" bucket.. $64,500

2018 DEERE 50G

Cat power, 6'5" 15mm drum, rigid conveyor, 60% bottoms, good belting with grade, stk# 26377................................................$125.000

2010 WIRTGEN 2100

2009 DEERE 624K

stk# 27812, 3300 hrs, skid steer cplr, coupler, 1yd bucket............................................$62,500

2015 DEERE 204K

2300 hours, push blade, hyd thumb, 80% tracks, Stk#27970................................$42,500

2012 DEERE 35D

2019 LEEBOY 8500D stk# 28000, Kubota, 8-15' propane screed...... $99,500

C/air, angle blade, hyd thumb, 24" bucket, new tracks, Stk#27764................................$67,500

1771 hours, stk# 27248......................$89,500

2015 JOHN DEERE 75G

stk# 28115, 11,800 hours, a/c, aux hyds, JRB hyd cplr................................................$87,500

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Maine’s Ticonic Bridge Replacement Project to Finally Begin

A $52.8 million project to replace the 113year-old Ticonic Bridge in Maine that spans the Kennebec River between Waterville and Winslow is scheduled to start. The work on the deteriorating bridge is scheduled to last four years, according to the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT).

Pittsfield-Maine-based Cianbro is the project’s prime contractor.

Beginning in late August or early September, westbound traffic from Winslow will detour to the Carter Memorial Bridge, just south of the Ticonic Bridge, while eastbound traffic is slated to stay on the Ticonic, MaineDOT noted in a schedule release. Early in September, pedestrian traffic would then be re-routed to the Two Cent Bridge at Head of Falls.

A MaineDOT announcement noted that in November 2024, both east and westbound traffic are expected to be detoured over Carter Memorial Bridge, as the Ticonic Bridge will be fully closed by that time. In April 2025, eastbound traffic and pedestrians should be returned to the Ticonic while westbound traffic would remain detoured over the Carter bridge.

If all goes to plan, both east and westbound traffic will return to the new Ticonic Bridge structure in September 2026.

All construction is expected to be completed in May 2027, MaineDOT said.

New Bridge to Complement WatervilleÊs Recent Upgrades

Waterville Mayor Jay Coelho told the Morning Sentinel on March 14 that a new

bridge is needed, and the replacement will complement all the work that has been done as part of the city’s downtown revitalization efforts. New lights will be installed on the Ticonic to match those already in town and in Winslow, he added.

“It’s going to be a pain, but it’s sort of finishing off what’s happening downtown — it’s just an extension,” Coelho said of the project.

Winslow Town Manager Erica LaCroix called the Ticonic Bridge effort “well planned.”

“Our biggest concern beyond the unavoidable disruption of traffic has been the ability of our emergency vehicles to get across the river expeditiously, when necessary,” she said in a statement. “This is especially important for ambulances carrying patients to MaineGeneral Thayer.

“MaineDOT has been very accommodating [in] working out traffic preemption systems that should cause minimal delays for traffic coming from Winslow into Waterville,” LaCroix continued.

She noted the bridge has deteriorated to a dangerous condition, adding that the work over the next few years “will be a significant inconvenience to our travelling public, but it’s completely necessary.”

Winslow City Engineer Andy McPherson and Paul Ureneck, Colby College’s director for commercial real estate and the supervisor of construction downtown, met earlier in the month with Cianbro’s project manager to discuss details, including where the contractor’s office trailer will be positioned,

“Cianbro is one of the biggest bridge builders in Maine and probably one of the largest in the country,” explained McPherson. “I’m sure they’ll keep it on schedule and keep the project running as smoothly as possible.”

Steep Banks, Varied Water Levels Could Present Challenges

Portions of the Ticonic Bridge are more than 100 years old, according to information provided by Paul Merrill, a MaineDOT spokesperson.

The structure will be replaced with a twospan steel girder with a concrete bridge deck. In addition, a single concrete pier will be built in the Kennebec River to support the span, which will, like the existing bridge, carry five lanes of traffic. It will have sidewalks on both sides of the roadway as well as widened shoulders for bicyclists.

About $25 million of the funding is from a federal BUILD grant issued to MaineDOT, which matched part of the federal money.

The project will be challenging, according to state transportation officials. According to MaineDOT’s website, the riverbanks at the work site are steep, and water levels vary widely throughout the year, creating a complex set of factors.

“Although the Kennebec River is not a commercial waterway, it is a critical habitat for Atlantic salmon and shortnose sturgeon populations during spawning season,” reads the state agency’s Ticonic Bridge project page. “Therefore, contractor work will be

restricted so that no work will be done in the waterway during the late spring and summer months. Finally, because there are numerous electricity, cable, telephone, and water utilities located along the bridge, special measures will be taken to relocate these facilities in a manner that maintains operability at all times during construction.”

Ticonic Bridge Site Has Seen Many Upgrades

The current span is a three-part structure, including a former trolley line built in 1909, a roadway constructed in 1936, and another roadway built in 1970, according to MaineDOT. It began as a steel truss bridge in the 1800s before a concrete arch trolley bridge was built in the early 1900s with a 50ft. track.

The Waterville news source noted that in the trolley system’s heyday, it carried more than 2 million passengers a year.

The Ticonic Bridge was significantly damaged during the Great Flood of March 1936 after a large piece of ice crashed into one of its stone piers, causing two of the truss spans to collapse into the river, according to MaineDOT.

When repairs were done, one concrete arch was left as it was, the failed truss removed, piers were reconstructed, and a new riveted steel girder structure was built to replace the heavily damaged truss, creating the first sizable roadway for vehicular traffic in a four-span configuration. The bridge was widened again in 1970, creating a five-span configuration. 

McPherson said.

Maine DOT photo

The existing Ticonic Bridge in 2020, viewed from downstream.

Mass. Plans to Begin Replacing 140-Year-Old Boston Bridge

The replacement of a 140-year-old bridge in Boston, Mass., will begin later this year after severe deterioration of the structure led to its abrupt closure last May during a routine inspection by Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) engineers.

The River Street Bridge in Boston’s Hyde Park carried motor vehicles over the train tracks of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Providence/Stoughton, and Franklin commuter rail lines, in addition to Amtrak trains traversing the Northeast Corridor.

“MassDOT is closing this bridge out of an abundance of caution after bridge inspectors identified beam deterioration during a routine and fracture critical inspection,” the state highway agency noted last year shortly after the discovery. “This closure is necessary to keep traffic off this bridge while material is ordered, and time is allotted for emergency repairs.”

Although closed to vehicles, the bridge has remained open to bicyclists and pedestrians.

Built in 1883, the bridge has been repaired many times in the last 100 years, the state agency reported on its website. Since 2016, MassDOT has made repairs to the structure

The River Street Bridge in Boston’s Hyde Park carried motor vehicles over the train tracks of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Providence/Stoughton, and Franklin commuter rail lines, in addition to Amtrak trains traversing the Northeast Corridor.

when needed, spending around $2.5 million to keep it safe for traffic.

Work Progressing On Bridge’s Design

In August 2022, MassDOT completed the designs for the repairs but based on the extensive repairs needed it was going to take about one year to complete everything. At the same time, the agency was advancing the design to replace the structure. The schedule showed that construction could begin as

early as this fall, which led MassDOT to decide that that timeline would allow it to keep the bridge closed and not complete the repairs.

MassDOT recognized the bridge closure has significant impacts on the Hyde Park community. In light of the delays, the department felt it could not ask Hyde Park residents to live with a longer closure than what was announced last fall.

The River Street Bridge is being designed to include:

• One lane of traffic in each direction with sidewalks.

• Carry MBTA bus routes.

• Have a protective barrier for Amtrak electrified wires (first installed in the 1990s)

• Four major utilities will run across it.

MassDOT also said if it left the closure in place, that would allow the agency to:

• Avoid a substantial investment in a structure which must be replaced in any case.

• Accelerate the design of the replacement bridge.

• Begin work on the new bridge in fall 2023.

• Open the new bridge in spring 2025.

• Maintain a near seamless connection for cyclists and pedestrians.

While the bridge closure is in place, early action steps have been under way to speed up construction of the replacement bridge, such as:

• Remove Amtrak’s electric wires from the existing structure.

• Relocate utilities to a utility/temporary pedestrian bridge.

• Potentially remove portions of the deck of the existing bridge if it can be done safely.

Former Paper Mill Likely to Be Site of $100M Biorefinery

The Lincoln Town Council in Maine has voted to approve a 20year lease between the town and Biofine Developments Northeast for a biofuel refinery on the site of the former Lincoln Pulp and Tissue Mill, now known as the Lincoln Technology Park.

Construction is expected to commence by July 2024 in the first phase of a long-term plan, according to a news release from Biofine dated March 22.

The project is expected to require a private sector investment of more than $100 million and create over 160 jobs. Subsequent phases could result in the ultimate creation of nearly 500 jobs and substantial added private investment.

Biofine develops bio-refinery projects utilizing proprietary processes developed by Biofine Technology LLC in Boston. The company’s proprietary technology derives heating and transportation fuel from lowquality woody biomass — made up of precommercial thinnings and production leavings, or “slash,” and/or from post-consumer paper waste.

The fuel produced by the process is called ethyl levulinate.

According to Biofine, the fuel is the single lowest carbon-intensity liquid fuel commercially available anywhere in the world. The company has successfully demonstrated the technology over many years in association with the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute at the University of Maine.

Biofine said it will produce three million gallons of ethyl levulinate annually, along with coproducts, levulinic acid and biochar, from 125 tons per day of cellulosic wood waste. Plans for later phases of the Lincoln biorefinery are projected to increase production approximately 10fold.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Biofine’s CEO, explained that ethyl levulinate “is an important transitional and long-term renewable biofuel that accretes value to producers and end-users alike for decades to come.”

New Refinery Could Spark More Tech-Driven Industries in Lincoln

The lease deal took place after many months of negotiations and working through many site issues, Mainebiz reported.

“We view this significant biorefinery project as just the beginning of an exciting economic revitalization of the old mill site, with other beneficial projects to come,” explained Lincoln Town Council Chair George Edwards.

The former Lincoln Paper and Tissue mill site spans approximately 387 acres. Now part of the Lincoln Technology Park, the site is envisioned as a center for next-generation technology-driven industries.

Biofine, established in 2019, is a subsidiary of Brookline, Mass.-based Biofine Technologies Inc., which has developed the refining processes.

Its technology has been supported by state agencies and enterprises that include a grant from the Maine Technology Institute and technical development support from the University of Maine Forest Bioproducts Research Institute for the commercialization of Biofine’s patented process.

The company retained Treadwell Franklin Infrastructure Capital of Portland for development services and financing. Treadwell Franklin is an integrated infrastructure business focused on municipal, institutional, and energy infrastructure and services in New England and the Northeast United States.

At one time, the Lincoln Pulp and Tissue mill was the town’s second-largest taxpayer and third-largest employer. It closed in 2015 during bankruptcy proceedings.

Lincoln is a town of about 5,000 people located off Interstate 95 north of Bangor in east-central Maine. 

Biofine Technology photo Biofine’s technology is demonstrated at the B2P2 Pilot Plant located at the University of Maine-Forest Bioproducts Research Institute-Technology Research Center in Old Town, Maine.

MassDOT photo

Sammy P Auction Services Holds Sale in Woodstock, Conn.

With a really clean late-model Cat dozer are Will Ziesmer (L) of Ziesmer Farms in Danville, Ky., and Dan Burk of Lannon

Sammy P Auction Services held a complete equipment dispersal of Thompson Tractor LLC March 31, 2023, in Woodstock, Conn.

David Holke, the owner of Thompson Tractor, has decided to slow things down a bit and retained Sammy P Auction Services to liquidate his equipment inventory. Clear skies and bright sunshine, along with a very nice lineup of construction equipment that featured 15 excavators and other earthmoving and support equipment, drew a great crowd of bidders.  CEG

(All photographs in this article are Copyright 2023 Construction Equipment Guide. All Rights Reserved.)

see AUCTION page 16

Along

four

Some really clean, late-model John Deere 310K tractor loader backhoes went for bid. A very impressive lineup of 15 excavators went on the block.

Farms in Woodstock, Conn.

Taking a test drive on a John Deere 17G mini-excavator is Robert Demars of RCD Paving & Sealcoating in Thompson, Conn.

Sammy Petrowsky welcomes one and all to the auction.

with

other great loaders, this John Deere 824J was a shining star at the sale.

As the sale begins, a large crowd gathers to bid on small items.

Town Begins Work to Make Section Pedestrian Friendly

The town of Ridgefield, Conn., has received the green light from the state Department of Transportation (CTDOT) to go ahead with a years-long project to improve the walkability of its Branchville neighborhood.

CT Insider reported Feb. 26 that the $2.3 million streetscape project is set to begin in a few months.

The area is nestled in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in the state’s far southwest.

The work involves creating a sidewalk starting at the Wilton-Ridgefield line, and heads north on U.S. Highway 7. It will continue north to Tusk & Cup Fine Coffee, to the intersection with Conn. Highway 102. There will be a walking bridge over a brook, and the sidewalk will continue north across the street.

“The width of [Conn.] 102, where it meets [U.S.] 7 will be narrowed so you won’t have to run out of breath trying to get across there,” Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi told CT Insider. “There will be walking signs, crosswalks, and the sidewalk will continue up to the Norwalk River. Another sidewalk will continue all the way up Florida Road as well, with a crosswalk over to the Ancona Plaza.”

The project also includes installing decorative lighting and the realignment of the Conn. 102 and U.S. 7 interchange with new traffic signalization and crosswalks at the intersection.

“This is about the future of Branchville and getting the infrastructure in place to actually begin a transit-oriented development that will have multi-family housing, a train station, and bus service on U.S. 7,” Marconi explained. “It’s an improvement, an investment in Branchville.”

A grant for the project was obtained through the Transit Alternative Program, where the town had to match 20 percent — about $400,000 — already approved by Ridgefield voters.

J. Iapaluccio Inc., based in Brookfield, Conn., is expected to build the streetscape. The company is an experienced, full-service civil and site contractor.

Marconi told CT Insider that once the contract is signed with the bidder, he will have more information about the overall Branchville revitalization project’s start date.

He added the project is necessary to develop Branchville for the future.

“It’s looking at how do we keep cars off the roads, reduce the carbon footprint, provide transportation, the electrification of the Branchville line,” Marconi explained. “All of it is how we provide housing and a living

environment that is clean and enjoyable. That’s the long-term vision for Branchville.”

VillageÊs Legacy Demands Upgrade

The village of Branchville is rich in historic resources. Of the approximately 50 buildings that lie within the project’s focus area, 80 percent are greater than 50 years old, according to a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) study done a few years ago by the Town of Ridgefield.

The earliest buildings within the focus area lie along West Branchville Road and Portland Avenue on the hill east of the train tracks. These buildings date from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and display, to name just a few, Federal, Greek Revival, Colonial Revival and Italianate architectural forms.

Marconi said with the revitalization project, he is trying to create a more “pedestrianfriendly community” in that historic area of town.

“Branchville has been the forgotten child for many, many years,” he noted. “This finally is going to begin after years of applications and studies. We’re finally putting a shovel in the ground to make some improvements.”

Bridge Replacement, Wider Track Crossing Ahead

The second part of the Branchville project involves the design of a new bridge at Depot Road. Marconi explained that the design phase is 90 percent complete for the structure at the intersection of U.S. 7 and Conn. 102.

After that bridge is replaced, a new one will be constructed on Portland Avenue, he added. Nearby will be a new intersection with a left turn lane and a thru lane, in addition to a widening of the railroad-track crossing at Portland Avenue.

Marconi said that part of the project should begin later this year and continue over the next three to four years.

“It’s all to improve the train station, traffic movement, (and) pedestrian movement,” he explained.

According to Marconi, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, through the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, recently told the state that a grant of $200,000 is being earmarked to study the feasibility of connecting Branchville to the Georgetown-Redding sewer plant.

Like the funds already allocated to the wider project, this grant, too, is for the purpose of revitalizing the Branchville neighborhood of Ridgefield. 

Bidders Vie for Thompson Tractor Liquidation Equipment

AUCTION from page 12

Sammy Petrowsky (C) gets the auction started.

A Volvo double drum asphalt roller is put through the paces.

These two prospective bidders are making good use of the inspection time as they get elbow deep into the engine compartment of this John Deere tractor.

More than 30 pallets of building materials sold to the highest bidder.

A busy sale like this requires a registration team that’s on their toes.

Just hanging out and doing a little excavator shopping are Mark Gluck Sr. (L) and Mark Gluck Jr., both of Mark Gluck & Sons in Plainfield, Conn.

A nice looking Cat D3 was looking for a new home.

This bidder seems to be considering which one of these fine compact excavators he should bid on.

Alta Equipment Names Bobby Johnsen to Concord Sales Team

Alta Equipment has appointed Bobby Johnsen to its sales staff at its facility in Concord, N.H. Johnsen’s area of responsibility will be southern New Hampshire.

Over the past decade, Johnsen has worked as general manager of a landscape company in the Manchester area where he had experience in all aspects of the landscape business, including selling projects, maintaining quality control, employee management and ensuring the company had the right equipment for each project.

Prior to this, he had started and operated his own hardscape construction company. As a result of these experiences, Johnsen is very familiar with the operation of most compact equipment, having operated most categories of machines from skid steers, track loaders, excavators and wheel loaders. He also has some background in screening aggregate materials.

“There are particular aspects of the Alta Equipment lineup that I feel specifically qualified to address,” Johnsen said. “With my previous employer, we had five JCB compact loaders in our fleet as well as a JCB 220 excavator. I was also involved in several projects where we rented Vibroscreen trommel screens and box screeners from Alta

Equipment. The equipment side of the construction industry has always been my passion. Getting this opportunity with Alta Equipment to focus solely on equipment and helping customers match the right equipment to their projects is exciting.”

Johnsen is an Air Force veteran. At its Concord facility, Alta Equipment represents JCB, Toro, Vibroscreen, Avant, Arctic Snow & Ice, Fair Mfg., Bergmann, Terramac, Wille, AMI and Steelwrist. 

Ahearn Also Will Add AUSA Equipment to Its Rental Fleet

AHEARN from page 1

The company manufactures three 4 x 4 telehandlers that utilize a telescopic boom that provides better handling despite the machine’s smaller dimensions in terms of width. It is positioned on the right side of the machine to provide the operator with improved visibility and increased safety while loading and unloading materials, the company said.

According to Josh Ahearn, CEO of Ahearn Equipment, “With our present lineup of products, we have a good lineup of dirt moving equipment and we have been looking for niche brands that would round out our offerings. Side dumpers have been around for quite some time, but they seem to be growing in popularity.

“With rising fuel costs, tighter job sites, and more population density, we see the demand for side dumpers to continue to grow,” he added. “We have a lot of confidence in the AUSA product. Their engineers seem to be ahead of the curve, like the features on the side dumpers to swivel 270

degrees.”

The AUSA telehandler is extremely compact and is designed to be used in small, tight yards. Typically, a telehandler has a fairly large footprint. The combination of a telescoping boom makes it extremely maneuverable and desirable for that tight material yard application, the company said.

“We also see rough-terrain forklifts growing in popularity with the U.S. contractor,” Ahearn said. “Once the major site work has been completed on a building site, these machines are quite useful for shuffling materials around the site. We expect them to be in high demand from our rental fleet. All of them are equipped with four-wheel drive. Here in our part of the country it is very common to operate in wet muddy conditions. I have seen the AUSA rough-terrain forklift operate in 1-1/2 feet of mud. That’s very impressive.”

In addition to offering all of the AUSA products for sale, they also will be available in Ahearn Equipment’s extensive rental fleet.

Alta Equipment photo Bobby Johnsen has joined Alta Equipment’s sales staff in Concord, N.H.