Concord is divided down the middle by the Merrimack River. The Loudon Road bridge, with 25,000 crossings on an average day, is the main artery between downtown and the Heights, an essential link between the city’s two centers of gravity.

Relying mostly on federal funds, the city has plans to totally replace it in the coming year.

Per the city’s capital plans, federal money through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law would cover just shy of 80% of the project’s $23 million anticipated price tag. Money from the state that Concord has held in a “bridge reserve” would also be used, leaving about a $2.6 million tab for city taxpayers. As long as the funding is still in place, the bridge reconstruction would begin in the next year if approved by city councilors as part of the upcoming budget.

Leaders on the project, including both city staff and contractors, will hold a public information meeting Thursday night at the City Wide Community Center. Its scope includes a pedestrian crossing related to the Merrimack River Greenway Trail and the intersection at Fort Eddy Road. The city hasn’t yet published information about the timeline and duration of traffic adjustments for the project.

The bridge work is a vital component in preparation for the state’s major interstate plans. Before Exit 15 and the Interstate 393 interchange can be renovated, the new bridge at Loudon Road needs to be ready for rerouted traffic.

Federal funding is the lifeblood of this project.

President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on money through the infrastructure law in his first days in office, then walked it back.

These kinds of federal grants, though, operate on a reimbursement system: Given rapid changes in federal grant programs through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, projects like this one entail more risk than they did a year ago.

City Manager Tom Aspell said earlier this month that he had received no indication that the nearly $18.5 million awarded to the city for this project would be held up.

“We won’t move ahead unless the reimbursement is guaranteed,” Aspell said.

At the same time, the bridge remains a priority. Built in 1966 and modified 30 years later, it’s been redlisted by the state since 2015 and has already been pushed off by the city for a few years.

The meeting Thursday will start at 6 p.m. and include a presentation of design alternatives.

Catherine McLaughlin can be reached at cmclaughlin@cmonitor.com. You can subscribe to her Concord newsletter The City Beat at concordmonitor.com.