The city of Portsmouth will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 5, to discuss plans to replace the Sagamore Bridge on Route 1A next year. The meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m. at Portsmouth City Hall Conference Room A.

Current plans call for the bridge replacement project to go out to bid late next spring, with work anticipated to begin in the summer of 2013. Construction could take up to a year; motorists will be detoured along alternative routes during the bridge closure.

The 71-year-old bridge last received work in May 2010, when it closed for $217,000 worth of temporary repairs. It also underwent repairs in 1984.

During the meeting on Wednesday night, city staff and design engineers will discuss the project timeline and possible alternative routes, and answer questions from the public.