FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Tuesday to purchase a superstructure replacement bridge to go over Orbeton Stream on Reeds Mill Road in Madrid Township.

The new bridge and associated expenses will cost $1 million.

Commissioners discussed rehabilitation of the old bridge or buying a new bridge with a representative of Calderwood Engineering of Brunswick. Both options have an estimated 75-year lifespan, but the rehabilitated bridge would have to be painted in 30 to 40 years. The cost to paint it was estimated at about $100,000 but could be more in 35 years.

The difference between rehabilitation and new was estimated at about $160,000.

The county had a temporary bridge built last year to go over the stream, at a cost estimated at $100,000 in November 2023.

The county would be able to sell the steel on the bridge that is removed.

The old bridge was built in 1964 and was deteriorating. According to Calderwood Engineering’s preliminary design report, the steel beams of the existing bridge are in critical condition with severe section loss at beam ends. It is considered structurally deficient and functionally obsolete.

In other unorganized territory business, county road agent Robert Lightbody said that bids for grading and shoulder restoration on Reeds Mill Road in Madrid Township and shoulder grading and ditch restoration on Freeman Township came in well over the county’s budgeted amount.

Commissioners voted to reject the bids from Harris Kubricky of Old Town, the sole bidder on both projects, which came to a combined total of $366,000. The cost of the bids average $10 per linear foot for each project, according to County Administrator Amy Bernard’s report.

“We historically have paid between $3 and $5 per linear foot,” she wrote.

Lightbody was directed to research if any local contractors could get the jobs done this year. Fenwick Construction of Kingfield gave two prices on different options for the shoulder restoration.

Lightbody said he made the shoulder work the priority. Fenwick’s bid was $77,800 for 3-inch gravel and $97,000 for crushed concrete. The company is getting a shoulder machine for another job and would be able to use it on the Reeds Mill Road project.

Commissioners voted to go with the 3-inch gravel for $77,800.

Lightbody said nobody is willing to commit to doing the ditching work on the West Freeman Road this year. He is going to get quotes from multiple contractors for commissioners to review.

Commissioners changed their next meeting date to 3 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the county courthouse at 129 Main St. in Farmington. They also moved their November meeting times to avoid meeting on Election Day to 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 and 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 19, a regular meeting date.