Chester’s traffic headache shared by Springfield

Chester's bridge construction projects means more truck traffic in downtown Springfield this summer.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20110330/NEWS02/703309906

Published March 30, 2011 in the Rutland Herald
Chester’s traffic headache shared by Springfield

By SUSAN SMALLHEER

SPRINGFIELD — Turn around is only fair play.

But that’s little comfort to the town of Springfield, which is about to see a big increase in truck traffic because of two bridge construction projects in neighboring Chester.

Town Manager Robert Forguites told the Springfield Select Board on Monday night that after two years of discussion about the two construction projects and traffic detours, “Now is here.”

Forguites warned the board that starting May 16, there will be a lot more heavy truck traffic through downtown Springfield, since truck traffic is being diverted from Exit 6 of Interstate 91 to Exit 7 in Springfield, up through town and either over to Chester on Route 11 or northwest on Route 106 to hook up with Route 103 in Gassetts.

“For a two-month period there will be considerably more traffic,” he said, setting the dates as May 16 to July 17.

Forguites said the traffic detour was only fair in one sense, since Chester had borne the brunt of heavy truck traffic when Springfield had its own major bridge reconstruction project on Main Street two years ago when the Community Center Bridge was rebuilt.

“Two years ago, Chester got a lot of our truck traffic,” he said.

Forguites said both bridges were on Route 103 south of the village center: one was a large bridge near the intersection with Route 11, and the other less than a quarter mile south of the first bridge, which is locally known as Benny’s Bridge.

Route 103 will be closed starting May 16 near the larger bridge, and closed June 20 at the smaller, narrow bridge. Both bridges are expected to be replaced and the road reopened by July 17, Forguites said.

That means the detour and heavy traffic will be in place during Springfield’s Alumni Parade in late June, when Main Street is closed for several hours.

Forguites said he would notify the state about the June 18th parade and road closure, and the state would have to decide what to do with heavy truck traffic.

“Hopefully, they will route truck traffic to Exit 8,” said Forguites.

“Can we charge the state an impact fee?” suggested Select Board member Michael Knoras.

“I don’t think you can do that,” Forguites said.

In any event, Board Chairman Kristi Morris said, it wasn’t a good idea strategically, since the town had several highway construction projects that needed state funding.

Select Board member Terri Benton questioned how the increase in vehicles would impact the backup of traffic in downtown and if any change in the signal controls would be needed to keep traffic flowing smoothly through the downtown area.

The local detour certainly would not accommodate heavy truck traffic, the town manager warned.

Forguites said that formal communication from the state was scarce and that he had only received an email forwarded to him about the traffic changes from in his mind ironically named “Count On It Business Services.”

Forguites said that Chester would be detouring non-truck traffic from Route 103 along the Green Mountain Turnpike, which despite its name is a rural, dirt road. Mud season should be over by May 16, Forguites said.