Vermont will receive $25.8 million in federal funding to help replace the Readsboro Bridge, which spans the Deerfield River, according to a news release.
The money comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Bolstering Vermont’s infrastructure is crucial to ensuring the safety, security and success of families, workers and people traveling through the Green Mountain State,” the Vermont Congressional Delegation said in a statement. “The replacement of the Readsboro Bridge will boost southern Vermont’s critical infrastructure, improve safety and accessibility and make Readsboro more resilient to extreme weather.”
Vermont’s Congressional Delegation includes Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, and Rep. Becca Balint, VT-At-Large.
70 years have taken a toll on the Readsboro Bridge in Bennington County
The Readsboro Bridge is located about five miles north of VT Route 100 and VT Route 8 in Bennington County. The existing bridge was built in 1954 and is in rough shape, structurally deficient with “a very poor deck and superstructure condition,” according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation. There is exposed rebar in the concrete underneath the bridge deck and significant deterioration in the steel beams and connections.
At 287 feet, the new bridge will be 53 feet shorter than the existing bridge, eliminating a “significant skew” in the old bridge, according to VTrans. The new bridge will have a single span supported by four plate girders, while the old bridge is a three-span, continuous two-girder bridge.
The new bridge will also be built to better withstand extreme weather events driven by climate change − according to VTrans − including Vermont’s floods of 2023 and 2024, by using improved drainage systems.
A renewed Readsboro Bridge is ‘long overdue’
The total estimated cost of the project is just over $33 million, with construction slated to begin this summer and continue through the winter of 2028. Traffic flow will be maintained throughout the project using phased construction, with some weekend closures utilizing a detour for major stages of construction, such as erecting the steel girders or pouring the concrete bridge deck.
“The bridge project has been long overdue, and the community has been patient and cooperative throughout the process,” Vermont Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said in a statement. “This grant money ensures construction while stretching Agency funds further for infrastructure improvements.”
Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT.