SANGERVILLE – The proposed construction of a new bridge spanning the Piscataquis River will mean changes to a popular recreational path.

The Department of Transportation wants to build a new bridge about six feet upstream from the current bridge and raise it about 10 feet to improve the traffic flow from Route 23 onto Route 15.

The current bridge, built in 1930, is structurally deficient, according to Joel Kittredge, DOT project manager. However, that does not mean impending failure, he said Friday.

A public hearing on the proposed project will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 8, at the Sangerville Town Hall.

The move will disrupt the Guilford Memorial River Walk, but state officials have assured town officials that access to the trail will be returned once the project has been completed.

“We’ll be making it as good, if not better when we pull out of there,” Kittredge said.

The river walk, which is maintained by Hardwood Products Co. and Pride Manufacturing Co., is dedicated to former officials of the two industries. The north side of the river walk is dedicated in memory of Todd Templet, whose family and relatives own and operate Hardwood Products. The south side of the trail across Route 15 is dedicated in memory of Scott Tilton, who was vice president of sales and marketing at Pride Manufacturing Co.

Kittredge said Friday that the preliminary design has been finished and a consulting engineer has made recommendations for the project. The department has proposed an alignment and the construction of a new bridge, at a cost estimated at $2.5 million.

The new bridge will be wider than the current structure that was built in 1930, Kittredge said. The existing bridge is 20 feet wide while the new steel bridge will be 31 feet, 6 inches wide. Like the present bridge, the new bridge will have a sidewalk.

The proposed alignment will move the bridge farther to the north side of the river walk, according to Kittredge. He said plans include the construction of stone walls and ramps to the walk and some landscaping. The walkway will meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act, he said. There also will be some changes in the parking area.

The DOT project is likely to be submitted in the next funding round for construction in 2004 or 2005, according to Kittredge. The bridge would be closed during the expected nine-month project and traffic would be rerouted at the four-corner intersection in Sangerville.