Vermont agency outlines delays, timeline and outreach for Colchester Exit 16 diverging-diamond interchange

Michael LeCroix, a project manager in the Agency of Transportation’s traffic design section, told the House Transportation Committee on May 27 that work on the Colchester Exit 16 corridor — including a reconfigured diverging-diamond interchange (DDI) at Interstate 89’s Exit 16 — is finally moving toward full construction after more than a decade of planning, permitting and litigation.

LeCroix said the project has two construction contracts: a first contract, completed in late 2023, that included utility relocations, ledge removal and retaining walls and cost about $10,600,000; and a second, final construction contract the agency awarded in May to build the roadway, the DDI, signals, sidewalks and stormwater infrastructure. “I have been working on this project for the last 12 years,” LeCroix said.

The DDI is designed to reduce signalized left-turn conflicts and increase capacity. LeCroix cited safety and capacity benefits that DOTs have reported nationwide, saying DDIs can reduce crashes and increase vehicle throughput. He also addressed winter operations: “Short answer is it functions just like any other roadway,” LeCroix said, noting the…