The Maine Department of Transportation estimates it will cost $4,250,000 to rehabilitate the Barters Island Bridge in Boothbay. The project tops the list as the most expensive of the 50 projects slated for Lincoln County project in the department’s three-year work plan.

The MDOT released its plans Jan. 12. The Barters Island project is still in its preliminary stages, according MDOT spokesman Ted Talbot. The department is still looking to hire consultants.

Once consultants are hired, MDOT will begin to evaluate options for rehabilitating the bridge.

“The project is still in its early stages, so it’s way too early to comment on the conceptual effort,” Talbot said. “We plan on keeping the approaches open on both sides and replace the middle span. It will remain a swing bridge.”

The department expects to solicit bids in 2017. Public hearings are expected to be held either in March or April, according to Talbot.

The Barters Island Bridge is a swing bridge that crosses the Back River. The project entails replacing the swing span in the bridge’s center.

The MDOT is considering erecting an adjacent temporary bridge to handle traffic.