OXFORD – Project organizers laid out the most likely set of options to replace the deteriorating Oxford bridge at a public information meeting Tuesday.

“We are here to get community input. The final decisions will be decided as a result of the community’s desires, state mandates and cost,” said Project Manager David L. Kennicutt of Delta Engineering.

Plans to begin work in replacing the historic Oxford truss bridge in the center of the village have been rescheduled and will now begin in 2009.

The delay is due to the fact that the bridge, the surrounding area and even the “Oxford Crossing” itself are considered historical landmarks. “Additional precautions are being taken to preserve their significant community and historical value,” said Oxford Mayor Terry Stark.

During Delta Engineering’s presentation Tuesday, they recommended an open-top bridge with no interior railing and a center support column that goes from bridge into river bed.

“If you have seen the village bridge in Greene, it will be very similar to that,” said Kennicutt.

Members of the Oxford Academy school administration and other citizens expressed a concern over not placing a pedestrian barrier on the bridge between the traffic lanes and sidewalk.