St. Albans seeks control of a segment of VT‑36 to speed local safety and water‑sewer projects

St. Albans town leaders testified before the Vermont Legislature’s Transportation Committee on Feb. 18 asking the General Assembly to authorize the town to take over a 2.8‑mile segment of Vermont Route 36 so the municipality can move faster on two local priorities: a redesigned intersection near the bay and a water‑and‑sewer extension from the city.

The request would relinquish an identified Class 1 town highway segment from state control to the town, shifting day‑to‑day maintenance and many design decisions to St. Albans while retaining the segment’s legal status as a public highway under Title 19, committee materials show.

Why it matters: Town control would give St. Albans authority to set posted speeds, place crosswalks, install signals, alter travel‑lane widths and make other street‑design choices without waiting for state approval — a change local officials said could speed both a near‑term intersection fix and a longer water‑and‑sewer project they said is critical for shoreline development and water quality.

Sean Atkins, the town…