PERU — Voters at a special town meeting Monday night authorized selectmen to use up to $200,000 from surplus to replace the Cummings Brook bridge on Dickvale Road.

The project was started Monday by Sargent Corp. of Stillwater and will be finished by Friday, Road Commissioner Joe Roach told residents.

The bridge was destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene in late August.

On Sept. 27, voters approved taking $80,000 from surplus and $20,000 from the Reserve Bridge Account to replace the bridge, but since then the cost has nearly doubled to $193,242.

The project is eligible for 75 percent reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and 15 percent reimbursement from the Maine Emergency Management Agency. The town will pay 10 percent.

Road Commissioner Joe Roach said FEMA has approved $130,438.35 but will withhold $14,493.15 until the project is complete. MEMA willl reimburse $28,986.30, leaving the town to pay $19,324.20.

Roach agreed this was about $10,000 more than his original estimate.

Former Road Commissioner David Gammon told Roach he should have known the final cost from the beginning.

Roach said there were several factors that made that impossible: A  larger crane was needed, the material for the box culvert and wing walls was higher than expected, and it was being built later in the year. He said he had estimates, but no real numbers.

Resident Dwight Hines praised Roach for getting what he called “the best deal in town.” He also thanked him for the PowerPoint presentation that was large enough for voters to read and made the figures clear.