LIVERMORE FALLS - Town officials have been alerted that the Norris Bridge on Strickland Loop Road is in fair to poor condition and needs to be repaired, Town Manager Martin Puckett said Wednesday.

The Maine Department of Transportation continues to inspect bridges it formerly owned but that reverted back to the town, he said.

Norris Bridge, which is off Route 106 near the Leeds line, was built in 1961 and spans 17 feet over Scott Brook.

"We need to start examining ways to replace the bridge," Puckett said.

According to the MDOT bridge report, both north abutments have voids with cracked stones and the timber work is exposed with moderate undermining. Rip-rap has slid into the channel and should be removed, it states. There are no cracks in the concrete bridge seat, it states.

The bridge was also listed in 2005 as being in fair to poor condition.

The abutments are granite blocks with some blocks removed and some that need to be replaced, Puckett said. The decking is concrete that was cast in place, he said.

"If the bridge reaches a condition that is unsafe for traffic, the department will exercise their right to protect public safety and close the bridge," Benjamin W. Foster, MDOT assistant bridge maintenance engineer, wrote in his letter to town officials.

There is no capital funding available for Norris Bridge, which is considered a minor span on a town way, Foster wrote.

The bridge will be inspected again in 2009.

Puckett said he and highway foreman Bill Nichols will meet with Foster to discuss options to fix the bridge.

In other business Monday, selectmen changed the transfer station policy that allowed people to take some items such as metals in exchange for other items such as batteries, Puckett said.

The town is getting paid for batteries and no longer needs an exchange, he said.

Selectmen changed the policy due to liability reasons. Only authorized haulers will be allowed t o take items from the station, Puckett said.

During last winter, people were taking pallets to burn, he said, and there could have been chemicals spilled on them, which could have been a hazard.