ROYALSTON – In July of last year, representatives of the North Quabbin Trails Association met with the Selectboard to encourage its members to support the rehabilitation of the King Street Bridge in the South Village.

At last summer’s meeting, NQTA President Bobby Curley suggested that a Vermont truss bridge could be built parallel to the existing structure. However, the Selectboard has chosen to go in a different direction.

The board recently advertised a request for quotes for the design cost estimate of refurbishing the span, built in 1937.

Quotes must be submitted to the board by Jan. 26. Board member Rick Martin said $25,000 has been allocated for the design work, although it’s hoped that bids come in below that amount. The bidder chosen will be expected to assess the physical condition of the bridge and determine if any part can be re-used or if total replacement will be required.

Town officials are hopeful the design will be able to utilize the pony steel trusses currently in place on the bridge. Further, the board wants to see a 10-foot-wide timber walkway constructed.

“The new design,” said the town’s RFQ, “must support the use of one light duty pick-up truck and pedestrian traffic” and must also support the sewer line that runs across the bridge. The final design will be presented to town officials and residents for feedback.

Martin pointed out at the meeting last July that any design plans will need the approval of the state, and any design would need to meet MassDOT requirements.

He also cautioned at the time, “The last thing about the bridge, is that it was built in ‘37. A lot of ships were built around that time for the war. What were they painted with? They were painted with lead paint. That bridge has an immense amount of lead paint on it – underneath it, on top of it, whatever. So, anybody who wants to fix the bridge has to mitigate it and make sure no lead falls in the river.”

The bridge sits at the trailhead of a footpath that runs for just over three miles along the north bank of the Millers River before going south into Athol’s Bearsden Conservation Area. Maps of the area encourage hikers to cross the span over the Millers River, but the bridge – closed to vehicular traffic for decades – was also closed to foot traffic in October 2022.

The restoration of the bridge for pedestrian use is seen as a vital to the revival of Royalston’s South Village. Members of the Royalston South Village Revitalization Committee hope reuse of the bridge will help spur some type of economic activity in the neighborhood. The South Village has faced economic challenges in recent years; first by the fire that destroyed the popular Pete & Henry’s Restaurant in August 2018 and again in March of last year, when the Royalston Country Store abruptly closed its doors.

“We do understand how important this access across the water is to all of the trails (in the area) and to the Town of Royalston,” said Selectboard Chair Deb D’Amico last summer. “We’ve got to figure out how to make that bridge accessible to pedestrians. We don’t care about vehicles. It’s the pedestrians who want to go over that. I feel like there’s a solution here somewhere.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.