VTrans outlines 2027 plan to replace Monarch Hill Road bridge in Tunbridge

Jonathan Griffin of the Vermont Agency of Transportation updated the Tunbridge Selectboard on the deteriorating bridge at the bottom of Monarch Hill Road and laid out a multi-stage timeline for replacement. Griffin said the small bridge overtops easily and is crumbling; the state intends to reduce sedimentation by relocating the stream channel where feasible and to "keep as much waterway as possible." The planned replacement is "a cast in place solid slab bridge," Griffin said, and the project will be designed to avoid a full road closure, limiting work to a one-lane alternation.

Griffin gave specific scheduling milestones: the project is expected to be put out to bid in January 2027, utility relocation work would begin in winter 2027, and active construction is planned for summer 2027. VTrans officials said they are hoping to have the work completed in time for the 2027 fair but that the project has until October 2027 to be finished. The presentation also noted preliminary work to determine power-line relocations and channel modifications to reduce recurring overtopping and sediment buildup.

The update was presented as information to the board; no formal action or local permitting conditions were recorded during this segment. The Selectboard will receive further notices as the state moves the project into the procurement and utility-relocation phases.