State and local officials gathered in Padanaram on Friday, Sept. 2 to announce the appropriation of $2 million for repairs to the Padanaram Bridge connecting Gulf Road and Bridge Street.

In attendance were Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, State Rep. Chris Markey (D-Dartmouth), MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, Town Administrator Shawn MacInnes, Select Board Chair David Tatelbaum, and Dartmouth Public Works Director Tim Barber.

The state money, which is part of the Municipal Small Bridge Program, will go toward the design phase of the project, meaning more money will be required later on for construction.

The ultimate goal of the project is to rehabilitate the substructure of the bridge.

Polito said that bridges like the one in Padanaram “require a lot of work to repair” and when they go out of operation “it is certainly disruptive.”

She added that the bridge is “very unique” because of its turning mechanism, which is known to cause problems from time to time.

“This bridge is 87 years old and it gets stuck sometimes,” she said.

Markey thanked Polito and extolled the virtues of the Baker administration and its investments in small communities around the commonwealth.

“He’s just saying that because we gave him $2 million,” Polito joked in response to the praise.

Markey added that the repairs would be a boon to the community, which relies on it to navigate between otherwise-divided sections of Dartmouth.

“I look forward to seeing this and making sure people can continue to use this bridge on the water and on the road,” he said.

MacInnes called the project a “big initiative for the town” and one that would make it even better.

“This just enhances what we already have, which is truly a jewel of the South Coast,” he said.