Norwich — The state Department of Transportation will hold a public informational meeting Thursday (Oct. 12) on a $2.6 million plan to replace a 104-year-old bridge on Route 97 over Cold Brook near the Sprague town line.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Norwich City Hall, although work on the bridge is not slated to be done until spring of 2020. Plans for the project will be available at the meeting.

State officials said the bridge, 12 feet long and 37 feet wide, must be replaced based on findings of a recent inspection that found the bridge to be in “serious condition,” with a wingwall leaning and undermined abutments.

The new bridge will be a three-sided rigid frame structure, and the roadway will be lowered slightly, improving sightlines for motorists, DOT officials said in a news release announcing the project.

During construction, the bridge will be closed in both directions for nine weeks, and alternating one-way traffic may be required for additional time both before and after the closure.

A 4.4-mile detour is planned during the bridge closure.

Cold Brook passes under Route 97 from Cote Pond and the Shetucket River north of Lillibridge Road in Norwich and just south of the Sprague town line.

For more information about the project, contact the DOT Office of Engineering, 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington. Contact Meziane Meziani at (860) 594-3096 or email at meziane.meziani@ct.gov.

c.bessette@theday.com