The Lake Anderson Bridge was built more than a century ago, but in recent years the timber base has rotted.

Mr Fuge, who was the president of the Chiltern Athenaeum for 35 years, started working with Indigo Council a year ago to plan the bridge’s refurbishment.

Athenaeum vice-president Bill Steele said both the organisation and the community were carrying on the work of Mr Fuge, who died in September.

“We are doing this to finish the job he started,” he said.

“We could very well have lost the bridge without him.

“The bridge has been like that for 140 years and we want it to stay like that; it is very important to the people of Chiltern.”

Located near the town’s historic Lake View house, plans for the picturesque Monet style wooden bridge have been under way for almost a year.

Most of the timber was replaced in the 1970s but the design was kept the same.

The community and council have so far failed to reach an agreement because drafts published by the council on its website were believed to have strayed too far from the bridge’s original design.

A new design includes the use of a steel supporting structure hidden behind timber cladding to match the current look.

It is proposed the bridge be widened to one metre to allow disabled access and balustrade be included to meet Australian safety standards.

Prominent community member Eunice DePiazza said it was important residents were heard at a community meeting on March 4.

“Everyone is very much wanting it to stay in its original form, especially for Rex because he was a great worker for the town and he was adamant we must keep this bridge,” she said.

“We are afraid they will try and put more wooden panels on the hand rails because the council thinks the current ones are too wide and someone might fall through, but no one has fallen through it so far in over 100 years.”

The March 4 meeting inviting community feedback will be held at 6pm at the Memorial Hall and will also address plans for a covered walkway in Martins Lane.