North Stonington — A public information meeting on the $1.7 million plan to replace the bridge over Pendleton Hill Brook in town will be held Jan. 17.

The bridge, located on Route 49 near the intersection of Route 216, will be replaced during the summer of 2018 and will involve a five-week detour around the north-south throughway onto routes 186 and 216. Construction likely will last four months.

The bridge has flooded on a few occasions, and replacement of the bridge is intended to bring it up to the 100-year floodplain, said First Selectman Shawn Murphy. A substantial number of cars travel over that road; a traffic study indicates the bridge will support 2,600 cars per day.

Department of Transportation officials agreed that because of the scenic nature of the road and area, aesthetic improvements would be preferable, much like those made to other bridges in town, though plans have not been finalized.

The construction itself will cost $1.3 million, with an additional $470,000 held in contingency. It will be funded 80 percent by the federal government and 20 percent by the state.

Murphy said he has requested that a sign be placed near the intersection of routes 184 and 49 indicating that the road is closed when the five-week detour takes place. DOT officials indicated this will take place between June and September.

The Department of Transportation intends to put a road closed sign further along Route 49, though Murphy said when visitors to the area reach that sign, their GPS units may direct them on back roads northward that can't support the traffic rather than taking the detour.

The forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. in North Stonington Elementary School's multi-purpose room and begin with officials from the Department of Transportation.

A meeting between town, school and emergency services officials will take place afterwards to develop a plan for fire department, ambulance and school bus routes around the bridge closure.

n.lynch@theday.com