Residents frustrated as culvert project delayed

Vermont Department of Transportation (VTrans) officials told frustrated Springfield and Chester residents Monday night that the temporary bridge on Chester Road, originally slated for culvert replacement next year, will likely stay put until at least 2020.

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Selectboard chairman Kristi Morris said tonight was the first the board has heard that it could be years before that culvert gets replaced and the temporary bridge can be removed.

Residents frustrated as culvert project delayed | November 28, 2017 By PATRICK ADRIAN padrian@eagletimes.com FacebookTwitterGoogle+Share SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — In the words of the late Tom Petty, “The waiting is the hardest part.” Vermont Department of Transportation (VTrans) officials told frustrated Springfield and Chester residents Monday night that the temporary bridge on Chester Road, originally slated for culvert replacement next year, will likely stay put until at least 2020. “All I can say is . . .economics,” explained Project Engineer Gary Sweeny. With the state projecting significant budget shortfalls entering fiscal year 2019, impacts across departments mean more projects getting pushed back two to three years. “And I hate to say it, but there might be more of these situations around the state. We’re getting these projects ready to be built, but schedules are being moved back because we won’t have the money to pay them,” Sweeny said. VTrans met with residents to discuss four culvert replacement projects that were slated to take place from 2018 to 2021. All four culverts are 55 years old, and categorized by the state as being in either “serious” or “critical” condition, with severe corrosion eating away their invert. As each culvert weakens, the overlying road becomes more vulnerable to collapse. The most critical of these is at Bridge 57 of Chester Road, just west of Breezy Hill Road. In August, with the road collapsing above the culvert, the state created a temporary bridge adjacent to the original. The curved redirect has caught some drivers unaware. Two weeks ago, a tractor trailer missed the turn, barrelling into the side railing. The state has since posted an advisory 25 mph speed limit, and placed orange barrels to improve the visibility. The barrels will likely be removed once snow plowing begins, Sweeny says, “either by us, or the snow.” Orange placards will be put up along the bridge for winter driving. Rebecca Skrypeck, who lives with her husband close to the bridge, says the continual noise created by larger vehicles crossing the metal temporary bridge “is atrocious.” She was additionally disturbed when the tractor trailer went into the railing, and the danger with large, fast moving vehicles hitting that curve. Another major public concern was what the impact on traffic and travel would be once these culvert replacements do actually begin. Sweeny says, with the exception of the one closest to town (Bridge 61), each project is estimated to take a year, with phased construction concurrent with traffic. He plans to keep two lanes open as much as possible, with reduced speeds posted and periods with guided right-of-way traffic flow. When exploring quicker completion options, Sweeny found none advisable. The culverts are not reparable, and must be replaced in their entirety, he says. While closing the road would shorten each completion to three weeks, the lack of viable detours could obstruct a potential emergency. The longer and more complicated project will be Bridge 61, where Chester and Fairground Roads join. Because this is a town-owned road, Springfield will share some of the project cost (total project estimated at $2 million). Time to complete will take two years, Sweeny says, due to the site’s close proximity to water and sewer lines, bedrock and the power substation. Additionally, the site’s location in a potential archeological site must be factored in. In addition to this site seeing 7,900 vehicles per day, it neighbors Riverside Middle School, which adds congestion at pick up and drop off times. Sweeny says they typically try to wait until the end of the school year to start construction, and not continue too late into the school season. Selectboard member Stephanie Thompson returned discussion to the sudden push back of scheduled starts. Referring back to the critical condition at Bridge 47, Thompson noted that only four weeks ago, Sweeny’s letter announced its starting year as 2018. “That’s how fast things are changing,” Sweeny said. These plans and schedules are still in developmental stages. Right now, the Bridge 61 project is scheduled for 2020, though Sweeny said he anticipates 2021 becoming the actual start year. “And we’re not really sure how this project’s going to be done,” he said, referring to how the present sewer and water lines might prevent their their streamlined approach to culvert replacement.