FARMINGTON — A plan to build a recreational bridge across the Sandy River at the site of the demolished railroad trestle may be revived after a few years of dormancy, Town Manager Richard Davis told selectmen Tuesday.

A group of engineering students from the University of Maine Orono has agreed to meet the project committee members, including the town manager, Buzz Davis and Sandy Richard along with Selectman Drew Hufnagel on Oct. 12 to discuss designing a lighter bridge.

The project was set aside after a Maine Department of Transportation report came back with a design costing about $2 million, Davis said. The committee had received a DOT grant to pay for an engineering study and a design for a recreational bridge to span the river.

“The plan has been on the back burner since then,” Davis said.

Believing that the design was more than was necessary because the bridge would be limited to nothing heavier than ATVs, snowmobiles and a snowmobile groomer, Davis contacted the Orono program engineers Without Borders. He asked if they would be able to help reduce the costs. The college program generally helps with designs for other countries but he received word that they were interested in taking it on, he said.

The work of the engineering students will be done at no cost to the town.

One previous issue that caused the DOT engineer concern was the abutment on the east, or town side, of the river has some timbers underneath exposed. Davis believes a cofferdam could create an apron around the abutment and reinforce it.

“It’s a good project and we believe it will benefit the whole area. Trails are a big thing now. People want to go and spend time on these trails,” he said adding how they then spend money on food and in local stores. “It’s good for the local economy.”

In other business, the board approved hiring Wayne Drake, 29, of Farmington as a full-time patrolman for the Police Department. Drake is set to start work in three weeks and will attend the police academy in January, Police Chief Jack Peck said.

Drake told the board his family has lived in the area for many years, his grandfather was a dairy farmer in Wilton, and he plans to stay in the area for many years to come.

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