The state is calling on Alna to address issues discovered in an inspection of Ben Brook Bridge.

If the town doesn't fix the problems, the bridge risks load limits or even closure, a state engineer has warned. The bridge is located approximately a mile onto Egypt Road from Route 194.

The engineer's letter to town officials cites severe movement of a stone retaining wall, with stones shifting away from the roadway. “...(I)f stones collapse into the brook, it could cause a serious washout of the roadway,” writes Benjamin Foster, an assistant bridge maintenance engineer for the Maine Department of Transportation.

Foster recommends the town stabilize the wall and do ditching or reconstruction to prevent washouts.

On May 16, Alna selectmen agreed to have First Selectman David Abbott and Alna Road Commissioner Jeff Verney look the bridge over and report back to them May 30 with a proposed plan.

A new culvert was placed inside an existing one there about 15 years ago, Abbott said. That setup still looks solid, but the banking does need reinforcing, he said.

The same bridge once had a sinkhole roughly 2.5 feet wide and four or five feet deep, former road commissioner Mike Trask said.

Whatever needs to be done, the state won't be chipping in. Funding for work on minor spans like the one at Ben Brook ended in 2001, Foster's letter states.

According to MDOT inspection reports, the wall showed signs of stones moving as long ago as 2006. Foster did not immediately return messages seeking further information.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or sjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com.