NORTHFIELD — Selectboard members signed two letters of support this week as the town looks to make up the funding gap preventing the Schell Bridge reconstruction project from moving forward.

The first letter was addressed to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, expressing Northfield’s gratitude for the department’s support thus far and stating a desire for MassDOT to move forward with redesigning a replacement bridge in an effort to find a more affordable design. The other letter will supplement an application to the RAISE Grant Program, a large infrastructure grant program run by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The proposed project consists of the complete replacement of the Schell Bridge, named after Francis R. Schell, a New York merchant who gave $42,000 for the bridge’s design and construction. The bridge, carrying East Northfield Road over the river, opened in 1903 and has been closed since 1985 because it deteriorated beyond being safe to use. It links two sections of Northfield, as the town is the only one in Massachusetts that is divided by the Connecticut River.

After a site tour of the bridge in September, stakeholders have been holding monthly meetings with state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, state Rep. Susannah Whipps, I-Athol, and MassDOT representatives to discuss a path forward.

The bridge currently poses a $10 million liability to the town, which, as Selectboard member Barbara “Bee” Jacque explained, is roughly equal to Northfield’s entire yearly budget. Were MassDOT to rebuild the Schell Bridge, the town would be able to transfer ownership to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, and no longer shoulder the liability.

Northfield Grant Development Director Leslie Roberts explained that in 2021, the town selected a design for a replacement bridge, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge to be called the Pauchaug-Schell Bridge Greenway. However, even after revisions intended to lower the cost, the town was unable to come up with the funding necessary.

At the time that MassDOT gave an update about the redesign process in September, Roberts said the bridge replacement project was estimated to cost $61.35 million, a number that has skyrocketed in recent years. Of that, $36.36 million has been secured.

Northfield is now working with MassDOT to explore the possibility of replacing the structure with a simpler prefabricated bridge — a less pricey option. Like the previous plan, the bridge would be for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as emergency vehicles.

Roberts clarified that the letter of support to MassDOT is only a commitment to the next step of redesigning, which is expected to take an additional two to three years. After the redesign process is complete, residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback during a public review, after which point the design could be put out for bid.

“There’s still a lot of ‘ifs,’” Roberts said, “but this is kind of an incredible second chance for a large infrastructure project that most of them don’t get after they’ve come in over budget, like ours did.”

The other letter of support the Selectboard signed Tuesday will supplement an application to the RAISE Grant Program, a large infrastructure grant program run by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Roberts said the town has applied for a RAISE grant in the past and, if Northfield is successful in a future funding round, the grant would help bridge the funding gap.

During discussion of the two letters, Jacque expressed optimism for the future of the Schell Bridge project.

“We’ve got the dream team right now,” Jacque said, mentioning the monthly stakeholder meetings. “This is a massive group that Leslie has assembled, so we have unprecedented support … coming together at the right time.”