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Federal funds of $25.8M will replace the Readsboro Bridge in Vermont. The new span, costing $33M total, will enhance safety and resiliency, replacing the aging structure built in 1954. Construction begins in summer, lasting until winter 2028, with improved design to withstand climate-related challenges.
Thu January 16, 2025 - Northeast Edition #3
Vermont will receive $25.8 million in federal funding to help replace the Readsboro Bridge, which spans the Deerfield River in the small rural town of Readsboro, the Burlington Free Press reported Jan. 14. Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors in Glenmont, N.Y., is the builder.
The money comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"Bolstering Vermont's infrastructure is crucial to ensuring the safety, security and success of families, workers, and people traveling through the Green Mountain State," Vermont's Congressional Delegation said in a joint statement. "The replacement of the Readsboro Bridge will boost southern Vermont's critical infrastructure, improve safety and accessibility, and make Readsboro more resilient to extreme weather."
The state's delegation in Washington includes Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), Sen. Peter Welch (D), and Rep. Becca Balint, a Democrat representing the state's at-large congressional district.
The Free Press noted that the total estimated cost of the project is just over $33 million, with construction slated to begin this summer and continue through the winter of 2028.
Traffic flow will be maintained throughout the project using phased construction, with some weekend closures utilizing a detour for major stages of the work, such as erecting the bridge's steel girders or pouring its concrete deck.
"The bridge project has been long overdue, and the community has been patient and cooperative throughout the process," Vermont Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said in a statement. "This grant money ensures construction while stretching [the state's] funds further for infrastructure improvements."
The Readsboro Bridge is located about 5 mi. south of the intersection of Vermont Highway 100 and Vt. 8 in Bennington County, and just north of the Massachusetts state line.
The existing span was built in 1954 and is currently in rough shape, according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), which characterized it as structurally deficient with "a very poor deck and superstructure condition."
In addition, the agency noted that the bridge has exposed rebar in the concrete underneath its deck and significant deterioration within the steel beams and connections.
At a planned 287 ft. long, the new Readsboro Bridge will be 53 ft. shorter than the existing structure, eliminating a "significant skew" in the old bridge, according to VTrans. The new structure's design calls for a single span supported by four plate girders, in contrast to the existing structure's three-span, continuous two-girder bridge. Two of the latter's spans are 105 ft. long, while the other is 130 ft. in length.
The transportation agency also noted that the replacement for the existing Readsboro Bridge will be constructed to better withstand Vermont's extreme weather events driven by climate change, such as the devastating 2023 and 2024 floods, by using improved drainage systems.
VTrans first evaluated alternatives for rehabilitation or replacement of the Readsboro Bridge in an engineering study completed in October 2013. That evaluation assessed the proposed design criteria for the bridge and roadway alignment, right of way impacts, hydraulics and historical and archaeological resources.
Based on what the agency learned, several alternatives were considered for the bridge project, including taking no action, performing a deck reconstruction, making superstructure upgrades and fully replacing the bridge both on and off alignment.
In the end, the Readsboro Bridge's age and condition led VTrans to determine that a completely new span needed to be built.
Its substructure will be composed of concrete abutments supported by piles at one end, and on ledge at the other end. The bridge will feature two, 10-ft. travel lanes with 4-ft. shoulders on each side and a sidewalk at its north end.