Francestown residents will see a $1.14 million upgrade to the Old County North Bridge come 2025. 

On Monday, June 19, Jaime French, senior project manager for Fuss & O’Neill, met with the Select Board and community members to discuss initial plans to replace the historic Old County North Bridge over Collins Brook. The historic bridge was originally built in the 18th century and was modified in 1981. 

According to French, the bridge is currently on the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s (NHDOT) Municipally-Owned Red List, which she says is due to the structure’s severe deterioration. French said NHDOT’s most recent inspection revealed the structure is experiencing channel scour, causing severe erosion to the surrounding sediment. 

Due to the the structure’s poor state, a temporary wood bridge has been placed over Collins Brook to control traffic on Old County Road North. 

In an effort to address the ongoing issues long-term, French proposed a plan to build a concrete bridge that will span 40-50 feet over Collins Brook. According to French, the first step in the design process is an engineering study, which is expected to be complete by this fall. Once the preliminary stages are complete, French said construction season will likely begin in spring 2025 and will continue to Thanksgiving. 

French said protecting the surrounding wetlands and addressing abutters’ concerns is a top priority during the engineering and design phases. 

According to Town Administrator Jamie Pike, the entire replacement project, including engineering, design and construction costs, is estimated to be $1.14 million. Eighty percent of the costs associated with the engineering and design phase will be covered by the state via the federal Municipally Owned Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and 20% of the costs will be covered by town funds, approved at last year’s Town Meeting. That equates to $120,000 from by the state, and $30,000 from town funds for a total of $150,000 in design and engineering costs. 

Pike also said the state is expected to cover the remaining $990,000 in construction costs. 

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Abuttor Paul Oosterman said he looks forward to the construction of the bridge, which he believes will be benefit the community and help minimize traffic noise at night. 

“I think it’s a great idea, if the road grade is all the same, traffic is going to be completely quiet,” said Oosterman. 

The next public hearing on the Old County North Bridge replacement is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Offices.