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Residents press for long‑delayed Moose Mountain Bridge repairs; selectmen authorize engineering funding
Summary
After years on the state's red list, the Moose Mountain bridge drew sustained discussion; the road agent presented a roughly $200,000 engineering estimate, and selectmen approved warrant articles to withdraw reserve funds to pay for design, permitting and bid documents ahead of a construction bond decision.
Brookfield — Residents pressed selectmen for clarity on next steps to address long‑standing structural problems at the Moose Mountain Bridge, which has been on the state’s red list for years. The board approved two warrant articles to fund engineering and design work and authorized withdrawals from existing capital reserve funds to cover those costs.
Marshall Goldberg and other residents summarized the saga and urged clear explanation for new residents. "It's been red listed," one resident said, recounting a lack of insurance and multiple failed repair attempts. Road agent Chris Kendall described an SRPC‑facilitated engineering assessment that yielded an initial plan and budget for design, permitting, bid documents and engineering oversight. "That number is around 200,000," Kendall said of the engineering/design estimate.
Selectmen explained the immediate scope will only cover engineering and permitting in 2026; no actual bridge repairs will be funded or started this year. The planned engineering package includes design drawings, permitting, a bid package and oversight during construction. The purpose is to get the structure off the state's red list so it can be insured and safely contracted. Officials repeatedly emphasized that actual construction cost will be determined by the competitive bid process and could be substantially higher; they noted preliminary contractor estimates discussed previously ranged widely.
To minimize immediate tax impacts, the board proposed drawing $62,000 from one Moose Mountain reserve account and $145,000 from a separate reserve account (balances cited in the hearing) to pay for the engineering phase, and to leave the reserve funds open rather than discontinue them. If construction requires additional funding, selectmen said borrowing (a municipal bond) is likely to be the next step, with examples discussed showing a 10‑year bond could add roughly $50,000 per year to the tax rate depending on the final contract value.
What’s next: If voters approve the warrant articles at town meeting, the town will proceed with engineering, permitting and bid preparation. Construction funding would be addressed later, after bids and a refined cost estimate are available.
