News

I-91 Redesign in the Works

By Patrick Adrian
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — An extensive Interstate bridge improvement project will lead to a complete redesign of the southbound ramps at Exit 7 in Springfield and rerouting of the recreational Toonerville Trail, according to state transportation officials.

The Vermont Department of Transportation (VTRANS) is in the early design phase of a large, multi-year bridge improvement project on Interstate 91 in Springfield. The estimated $46 million project will replace, remove or repair four interstate bridges located between the Exit 7 interchanges and the overpass crossing Missing Link Road.

An engineering study conducted by HNTB, a national infrastructure consultant, found that all four bridges, all built in 1965, show varying stages of deterioration.

Two of the bridges, one crossing above Missing Link Road and a second that crosses the Black River, are recommended for restoration and upgrades.

The other two bridges, located near the Exit 7 interchange with Route 5, will require significantly more attention, resulting in the complete reconfiguration of the southbound ramps and a partial relocation of the Toonerville Rail-Trail, a 3.2 mile recreational trail along the Black River from eastern Springfield to the New Hampshire border.

At a public hearing in Springfield on Monday, engineer Josh Olund of HNTB said the project, as part of addressing the two bridges near Exit 7, would also replace the two circular southbound Interstate ramps, known as “clovers”, with straight ramps, in effort to improve traffic safety at these interchanges.

According to Olund, accident data shows a high number of vehicle crashes on Route 5 around Exit 7, which Olund believes is partly attributable to the interchanges.

Olund also noted “a weaving area” on the Interstate, where “traffic is trying to get onto the Interstate while traffic is trying to get off at the same time.”

“Personally, I for one don’t like driving in it, and I’m sure there are others who feel the same,” Olund said.

The project study recommends fully replacing the northernmost bridge in the study, labeled Bridge 28, which passes over Route 5. The replacement bridge will include small modifications such as a height elevation to improve roadway visibility. This bridge replacement includes the northbound and southbound bridge sections.

The second bridge, also split into northbound and southbound segments, crosses the Toonerville Trail. This bridge will be “disinvested”, which means it will be removed but not replaced. Instead the section of Interstate will be relocated to ground-level.

The study concluded that disinvesting in this bridge would provide greater cost-benefit than replacing it, in part due to the poor soil quality in the bridge’s location that necessitates most costly structural support.

The total cost to remove and rebuild the bridge would have an estimated cost around $2.3 million, whereas disinvesting would cost approximately $760,000 and remove future maintenance expenses, according to Olund.

To disinvest the bridge, the project will design a new Toonerville trail section. The proposed reroute will loop northward, cross beneath Bridge 28, and reconnect with the trail on the other side. This route will add one-tenth of a mile to the trail.

This new route would have pedestrian crosswalks on the northbound side of Route 5 at the interchange ramps. The new ramps will have a perpendicular alignment to Route 5 which Olund said will slow the entry of traffic and improve the visibility of pedestrians.

Olund said this project is still in the early design and permitting project and would not expect construction to start sooner than 2024. The construction is expected to take around 3 years to complete.

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