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Committee flags time‑limited DOT funds for Swing Bridge project, urges prioritization
Summary
Members debated urgency and funding for the Swing Bridge project, noting state DOT involvement, preliminary engineering paid by the state, and a concern that available matching funds may have a limited window.
The committee discussed the Swing Bridge project at length, focusing on timing, engineering status and the risk that state matching funds could lapse if the town does not advance work within the DOT schedule.
Committee members said the state has paid for preliminary engineering and that the project has been in the State Transportation Program for multiple years. Several members stressed that the DOT—s schedule creates a window for available funding: if the town delays, the state could reassign the funding. One participant said preliminary conversations assumed lower prior costs ("under 26,000," as referenced in the meeting), and staff recommended planning for a higher current estimate and a contingency in case construction costs rise. A staff member noted the committee should plan to submit a request in the next funding cycle if it wants to capture the state match.
Members moved to treat the bridge—s urgency as higher after hearing about the potential for lost state support. The committee discussed making the project ready for the 2027 construction program (with some references in the discussion to 2026–2028 funding windows), and several members said they would raise their urgency ranking after the state timing was explained. Staff confirmed the state would pay for engineering; construction funding eligibility and timelines remain subject to DOT program rules and the town—s ability to meet those deadlines.
No binding commitment or appropriation was made; members agreed to revisit the item at the next meeting with updated cost numbers and to prioritize the Swing Bridge in their ranking exercise if DOT funding timing requires it.
