The tiny Boombridge Road bridge, which touches both Connecticut and Rhode Island as it crosses over the Pawcatuck River, has been closed due to deterioration since July 2008. As officials jump through regulatory and financial hoops in an attempt to get it rebuilt, the state of Rhode Island has decided it will not pay for Westerly's portion of the bridge repair as it had originally planned.

In a Nov. 12 letter to North Stonington First Selectman Nicholas Mullane II, Kazem Farhoumand, chief engineer at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, wrote that the state would pay its 40-percent share, about $600,000, but not the town's 10 percent, which is roughly $150,000.

"At this time, the state of Rhode Island is not able to pay the Westerly share and will be looking to the town to contribute their share of the cost to fund the project," Farhoumand wrote.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation and the town of North Stonington are already onboard with the project. Mullane said the project can't move into the design phase until funding from all sources is secured.

Part of the rebuild will be financed with federal earmark money, and Mullane, who is spear-heading the project, said he is trying to allocate the federal money so that it helps defray the cost to the two towns.

Although disappointed that Rhode Island will not be paying the additional $150,000, Mullane was pleased that the state's 40 percent share, at least, is covered.

"Rhode Island has stepped up to the plate. I can't tell you how pleased we are," he said.

If Westerly refuses or is unable to pay its share, Mullane said he didn't want that to stop, or even stall, the project.

"I've got to be innovative. I've got to find the money somewhere," he said.

Westerly Town Councilor Christopher Duhamel, who also received a copy of Farhoumand's letter, discussed the fate of Westerly's 10-percent portion this week at the Westerly Town Council meeting .

"It's something we're going to have to work with, how to fund this," he said.

Westerly Town Manager Steven Hartford could not be reached for comment.