When first selectmen gather, they often talk of bridges and roads. Not surprisingly, since these are big-ticket items for small towns and constantly in need of attention.

So it comes as unwelcome news that a recent review by the State of Connecticut has identified two bridges in Norfolk that need repair. The most urgent is a bridge at River Place, according to First Selectman Matt Riiska, speaking at the Feb. 6 Board of Selectmen meeting. River Place is a short spur road off Route 44 that crosses the Blackberry River just west of town.

A civil engineering firm consulted by Riiska reports that the bridge’s deck needs replacement and some of its abutments need shoring up. The cost is estimated at $2.1 million, of which a federal grant administered by the state may pay 80 percent, or $1.7 million.

The entire process can take up to three years, and Riiska will make a preliminary application to the state now to set the process in motion. The design will not be ready until 2019, at which point a public hearing will be held. Construction might be completed in 2020.

The other bridge needing attention crosses Sandy Brook on the Sandisfield-New Hartford Road in the very northeast corner of Norfolk. Riiska will start the process to repair that bridge next year.