WILLOW CREEK — The aging footbridge that carries the Mattawamkeag River Trail over Mill Brook will be replaced starting May 15, town officials announced Wednesday, capping a two-year fundraising effort that drew donations from more than 60 households and businesses.
The existing span, built in 1978 by a local snowmobile club, has deteriorated to the point that trail users have been crossing the brook on a makeshift log. The new bridge will be 12 feet wide — six feet wider than the original — with pressure-treated decking and galvanized steel railings capable of supporting small maintenance vehicles.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said trail committee chair Fred Arsenault. “That old bridge was held together by good intentions and rust. The new one will last 40 years.”
The $28,000 project was funded through a combination of town matching funds, private donations, and a $12,000 grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund. The trail will remain open during construction with a quarter-mile detour marked along an old logging road.
Work is expected to be completed by June 15, in time for the summer hiking season.