By Jodi Hausen,Staff Writer

KINGFIELD - Selectmen signed an agreement Tuesday with the state Department of Transportation to allow overweight trucks to travel on municipal roads during construction of a new bridge over the Carrabassett River this summer.

Notification was posted last week requesting bids for the project budgeted for more than $2 million, said Wayne Frankhauser, project manager for the Department of Transportation. Bids will be opened for consideration at 11 a.m. on Feb. 23 in the department's Augusta office.

Construction on a bridge to replace the concrete one on Route 27 on the north side of Kingfield is due to begin this spring, he said. Plans include constructing a temporary two-lane bridge for traffic to use while the old bridge is dismantled and a new one is built. The new bridge will be wider and straighter, and it will have sidewalks and a concrete rail similar to the current one, said Frankhauser on Tuesday.

Frankhauser said he anticipates work to begin as early as May but the exact start date will be determined by the contractor. The state's contract stipulates that the new bridge be ready for traffic no later than Nov. 15.

The agreement signed by selectmen will allow the contractor to travel on town roads with overweight trucks to facilitate construction of the bridge. Any damage resulting from such use will be the responsibility of the department and will be determined by town officials.

"It's standard operating procedure," said Heather Moody of the board as she signed the document Monday.