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Burlington–Winooski bridge replacement: detour plans, transit and emergency access discussed
Summary
Burlington and VTrans presented conceptual plans for the Burlington–Winooski river bridge replacement, noting the span carries over 20,000 vehicles daily. Consultants showed construction phasing and a signed detour; TAC members pressed for coordination on peak flows, transit routing and emergency vehicle preemption.
Burlington and the Vermont Agency of Transportation briefed the Chittenden County TAC on the Burlington–Winooski river bridge replacement and proposed detour concept on May 6, 2025.
Laura Wheelock, representing the City of Burlington, and Bob Klinefelter, VTrans, said the bridge carries more than 20,000 vehicles plus hundreds of pedestrians and bicyclists daily and that lane closures during construction will require off‑site detours. Arial Greenlaw and Josh Olund of HNTB presented conceptual images, proposed lane configurations for phased construction, an official signed detour route map and options to accommodate emergency services.
TAC members asked detailed operational questions. Joe Segale pressed about AM peak impacts and northbound bias in some proposed lane configurations; Arial Greenlaw said the PM peak is more extreme and favoring southbound flow could limit left‑turn opportunities for northbound traffic. Tom DiPietro flagged Lime Kiln Road as a potential unofficial detour route and requested follow‑up coordination with the Route 2 paving project in 2027; Carolyn Cota (VTrans) said she would follow up and noted construction is still several years away. Chris Damiani (Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation/GMT representative) asked for follow-up about potential impacts to GMT transit routing on Riverside Avenue; the consultant team said they will coordinate with transit and noted that emergency preemption signal systems can be used to maintain access.
Staff provided a project webpage for ongoing updates and said the team has engaged with regional emergency services to explore preemption and other options to preserve response routes. Short-duration full closures would occur overnight or for one day and are not currently on the calendar; a longer 4–6 week full closure is likely in the 2028 timeframe, subject to seasonal and school‑calendar considerations.
The discussion emphasized coordination: staff and consultants committed to follow-up conversations with transit agencies, neighboring RPCs and municipal contacts to refine detour routing, signal timing and emergency access before construction begins.
