BELFAST — No visit to Belfast is complete without a walk on the footbridge spanning the Passagassawaukeag River, and City Hall wants to make sure it remains that way.

The bridge has been attracting area residents and visitors since it was closed to vehicular traffic more than 30 years ago. The 1,000-foot span has seen better days, however, and is in need of major repairs.

After more than a year of holding meetings with consultants, designers and engineers, the city’s pedestrian river crossing committee has determined that it is in the city’s best interest to preserve the bridge.

In a new report, committee members recommend that the project be funded over several years. By the time it is completed, the project could cost more than $3 million.

The bridge served as the major Route 1 highway link across the river until it was replaced with the Veterans Memorial Bridge in 1966.

Although the city kept the span open for pedestrians and allowed fishermen to cast for mackerel from its deck, the bridge received scant maintenance for the next 30 years.

Neglect took its toll, and the bridge was closed two years ago when Department of Transportation engineers determined a few of its support piers were unstable. The bridge remained closed until last fall when repairs to the piers finally were completed.

In its report, the pedestrian river crossing committee stated that the bridge provides a safe river crossing for bicycles, pedestrians and wheelchairs. Not only does it offer a scenic route free of speeding traffic, it also acts as a lure to visitors and tourists seeking a peaceful walk over the water.

The committee noted that the bridge “fits with Belfast’s long-standing commitment, as stated by our comprehensive plan, to: improve the downtown and waterfront areas by creating a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere; ensure that the waterfront continues to be used for a variety of activities, including recreation; and enhance the waterfront by creating walkways and green areas that link to other areas.”

During their investigation, committee members learned from architects that though the support system of 16 granite piers was basically secure, the deck needed to be replaced.

The committee has not recommended how that should be accomplished, or by what method. The report stressed, however, that a wood composite process developed by the University of Maine was suitable, as were conventional construction methods.

A conventional deck replacement could cost up to $3 million. A wooden surface would run about $2.2 million. Either method would last well into the middle of this century, according to the report. It was noted that it could cost up to $1 million to remove the bridge altogether.

The DOT has set aside $500,000 in its next budget for the bridge, and the city has committed to raising $300,000 in matching funds by the end of 2001. If the community decides to go ahead with the project — and the committee has recommended public hearings as well as a referendum on the issue — long-term financing would be necessary to get the job done. The City Council has yet to decide whether it wants to make that kind of commitment.

Members noted that besides providing access to fishing, the bridge also allows pedestrians to experience the river from a distinctive perspective. It also connects people to a mixed-use waterfront that is fully accessible by trails and parks along its length and within walking distance of the city’s commercial downtown.

“We know of no other Maine community with this combination of features,” the report noted. “We have the potential to provide a rich and seamless coastal waterfront experience valued by visitors and residents alike.”