Route 106 reconnected

Route 106 in Weathersfield opened to traffic this week, three months after Tropical Storm Irene caused significant damage.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20111125/NEWS02/711259959

A member of the press takes a photo of damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene on Route 106 in Weathersfeld earlier this year during a tour led state transportation officials. Route 106 opened to traffic this week.
Photo: Vyto Starinskas / Staff FILE Photo
Published November 25, 2011 in the Rutland Herald
Route 106 reconnected

By Christian Avard
Staff Writer

WEATHERSFIELD — Route 106 in Weathersfield opened to traffic this week, three months after Tropical Storm Irene caused significant damage.

On Aug. 28, a 450-foot section of Route 106 — a connector road that runs north-south along the southeastern side of the state — disappeared from flooding and erosion. It fell 90 feet onto the banks of the Black River along with over 2,000 feet of embankment. The area posed a major safety risk and VTrans closed Route 106 in Weathersfield to all traffic.

Former VTrans Incident Commander Joe Flynn said repairs were a challenge right from the start. Due to the total devastation of the roadway, the planning required aerial photography and GPS instrumentation to determine the correct footprint for reconstruction. Gurney Brothers Construction of North Springfield surveyed the area and assisted with repair efforts.

The planning work took much time and effort. But the tricky work began when they rebuilt from the ground up.

“The crews needed to be protected while the initial work was conducted at the river’s edge. We worked closely with the Agency of Natural Resource’s River Management to develop a plan and once that was done, an access road was built along the banks of the Black River to allow the movement of equipment and materials to begin repairs,” Flynn said in an email.

The work crews restored the base area with large rocks, gravel, and fill to give it a strong foundation. They used approximately 100,000 cubic yards of material to fill in the 450-foot section of roadway. Much of the gravel was excavated from the Black River or supplied by Cersosimo Construction and Aggregate of Vernon.

Flynn estimated the project cost $1.7 million to repair Route 106. He also said the impending winter weather also played a factor in reopening Route 106 by Thanksgiving.

“It was on our minds shortly after we phased out of the emergency aspect of our response,” Flynn said. “Easily within the first ten days, we began planning for winter weather and the impact of weather maintenance.”

VTrans road crews put the finishing touches on Route 106 this week. They installed new guard rails, rolled and painted the pavement, and after 2 p.m., Wednesday, Route 106 reopened before Thanksgiving.

Like the Route 131 repairs in Cavendish, Flynn said Route 106 was one of the most challenging projects he’s ever faced. As for Sue Minter, deputy secretary for the state Agency of Transportation, she was proud of the Flynn’s work along with the Vermont National Guard, the Vermont Air National Guard, the Ohio National Guard, and the Maine and New Hampshire Agencies of Transportation.

“Route 106 and Route 131 were extreme damage in terms of roads being washed away. They took a long time because a lot of material went into them,” Minter said. “Route 106 and Route 131 were permanent repairs that we don’t anticipate having to go back and rework on.”