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VTrans updates Exit 17 completion, Exit 16 schedule and Winooski Bridge funding timeline
Summary
VTrans told the Chittenden County TAC that Exit 17 paving and ramp work is complete pending overhead sign installation, Exit 16 diverging-diamond work targets June 2027 completion, and the Winooski Bridge replacement carries roughly $47 million in RAISE and BUILD grants with a September 2026 obligation deadline.
Matthew Arancio, VTrans, told the Transportation Advisory Committee that major work at Exit 17 — paving, ramp construction and new traffic signals — is complete and crews are now installing an experimental wrong‑way detection system that will trigger flashing lights and notify VTrans operations if a vehicle enters a ramp the wrong way. “Wrong way detection is a new feature to deter drivers from using the wrong ramp,” Arancio said.
Matthew LaCroix, VTrans, described Exit 16’s diverging‑diamond interchange work as ongoing, with some night work expected in June and a targeted completion date of June 2027. LaCroix said a new crossover traffic pattern is tentatively planned for mid‑September to familiarize drivers before winter when pavement markings may be less visible, and public outreach will include a driving simulator demonstration at the Champlain Valley Fair.
Bob Klinefelter, VTrans, and Steve Spear, HNTB, briefed the TAC on the Winooski Bridge replacement and related intersection work. The project team’s goal is to maintain at least two lanes of traffic on the bridge at all times and to coordinate several off‑site projects — including relocating Green Mountain Power lines and signalizing Hood’s Crossing — to support construction. Klinefelter said the project has about $47 million from RAISE and BUILD grants plus congressionally directed spending; the grants require clearing right‑of‑way to meet an obligation deadline of September 2026, and grant funds must be spent by 2031.
Jack Evans, representing Local Motion, asked about effects on GMT’s Route 2, the agency’s highest‑ridership transit route, and about maintaining walk and bike access during lane changes. Project staff said they are coordinating with GMT and that a project requirement is to provide walk/bike access during construction.
Project timing notes supplied to the TAC estimate bridge lane changes in late 2028 or early 2029 and project completion in fall 2030, while Exit 16’s crossover pattern is expected in mid‑September with full construction targeted for June 2027.
Why this matters: the three projects will affect regional traffic patterns, transit operations and multimodal access across multiple municipalities, and they are tied to grant deadlines and obligations that shape project sequencing and right‑of‑way work.
Provenance: topicintro — SEG 032: "M. Arancio, VTrans, gave an update on Exit 17 construction project..."; topfinish — SEG 075: "There is about $47M between the two grants, as well as congressionally directed spending."
