NORWAY — Town Manager David Holt told selectmen that the Morse Street bridge is safe, although Maine Department of Transportation bridge inspectors have said the substructure is in poor condition.

“They’re saying it has a defect,” Holt said Friday of the ongoing difference of opinion between the state’s inspection and the town inspections performed by a civil engineer.

According to information from the DOT, the decking and superstructure of the 18-foot-wide steel girder bridge is in good condition, but the substructure is in poor condition and the approach is in fair condition.

The bridge was rebuilt in 1983, but some of the support stones are 60 to 70 years old, according to information from the DOT.

Holt said the problem is the state believes the water flowing over Herrick Brook between the large rocks that make up the header and the footer of the bridge is unsafe because the voids bring the potential for movement.

According to the state inspection report, the deficiencies in the Morse Bridge, also known as the French Bridge, should be addressed as soon as possible “to ensure continued use of the bridge.”

Benjamin Foster, assistant bridge maintenance engineer for DOT, said if the problem continues, it may result in a “diminished function of the bridge through load posting and even closure.”

Civil engineer Rob Prue of Pine Tree Engineering in Bath looked at the bridge at the town’s request and found that it is stable. There has been no shifting of the rocks and nothing needs to be done at this time, Holt said.

If there were a problem, Holt said the town would begin by having it posted for weight limitations.

The DOT inspects all bridges and minor spans on public ways, including 15 in Norway, every two years in accordance with federal and state guidelines. The bridge data is reported annually to the Federal Highway Administration and is used for determining safe-load capacities and candidates for Maine DOT’s bridge capital and maintenance work, according to information from DOT.

Holt said the span on Morse Road is not eligible for federal funding because it is considered a minor span and not a bridge, and there has been little funding for bridge repair from the state coffers for years.

The town will keep inspecting it for deterioration, Holt said.

The state will reinspect the bridge in 2015.

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