ESSEX CULVERT PROJECTS - VTRANS

Regional Concerns Meeting Summary - March 18, 2024

Laura Stone, P.E.
VTrans Scoping Project Manager

Bridge 2, VT Route 15

• Scope of Work:  This project will involve a full replacement of the existing concrete box with a new 3-sided or 4-sided precast buried structure.  A 3-sided ridged frame may be required here due to shallow bedrock.  Additional subsurface information will be obtained in design to determine the structure type (3-sided versus 4-sided).
• Maintenance of Traffic:  To reduce impacts to utilities, environmental resources, and cultural resources, a temporary bridge will not be constructed. Traffic will be maintained via phased construction and/or an offsite detour, or a combination of the two to keep the corridor partially open during construction.  The final maintenance of traffic plan will be determined in design.  The best regional detour route available has an end-to-end distance of approximately 5.6 miles. The traffic volumes along this corridor are very high, however, there are many local detour routes that the traveling public can use to avoid this section of road during a short-term closure. 
• Discussion about Traffic Control:  There was some discussion about traffic control.  Both detour options go through 5-corners which is already congested.  The Selectboard noted that limiting road closures as much as possible would be most favorable to the public.   
• Discussion about the Roadway Typical Section: As discussed, we had planned to construct the culvert to accommodate the minimum standard roadway width which includes 11’ travel lanes and 8’ shoulders.  During the meeting, the Town talked about plans to construct a shared use path on VT Route 15 from Athens Drive to VT Route 289 (through the project area), for which CCRPC completed a scoping study in 2018.  Following the meeting, we reviewed the multiuse path study and have determined that we can accommodate the recommended typical section with this project.  As we understand, the recommended typical section from that study is as follows: 4’ bike lane – 11’ travel lane – 11’ travel lane – 4’ bike lane – 5’ grass median – 8’ shared use path.  This typical section will lengthen the existing 54-foot-long box to approximately 85-feet.  The roadway will be widened to this typical only within the limits of the bridge project, which is approximately 50 to 100-feet off each end of the culvert.  
• Discussion about Utilities: There may be impacts to the Town-owned water and sewer main.  The Town asked if the utilities need to be relocated if it would be a participating cost.  I reached out to our Utility Section for clarification – the relocation of municipal utilities that are located within the State-owned Right-of-Way will not be a participating cost, so it will be up to the Town to hire a consultant for design and pay for the relocation, if needed.  At this time, we do not have as-built plans for the water or sewer lines so are not certain of the location of these or if they will need to be relocated.  Our utility section will be reaching out to the Town early on in the process to request coordination, beginning with all of your as-builts.   

Bridge 11, VT Route 2A

• Scope of Work:  This project will involve a rehabilitation of the State-owned portion of the concrete box.  The areas of deterioration are concentrated at the walls of the box where they meet the bottom, and the deterioration is significant.  The rehabilitation will likely include an invert overlay along with a concrete stem wall up the sides of the box.   
• Maintenance of Traffic:  A rehabilitation will require only Temporary lane or shoulder closures as needed in order to mobilize/demobilize construction equipment and set up temporary construction staging areas along the outlet slope of VT Route 2A.  Slight speed reductions may be used, and occasional minor delays may be experienced as construction vehicles enter and leave the project site.  This is a very congested area and working windows for when lane closures can happen should be limited to outside of peak hours.   
• Discussion: There was a question why we are not addressing the deteriorating section of culvert under the railroad.  As discussed, the decision was made to keep the scope limited to the State-owned structure due to the poor and deteriorating condition of the State-owned pipe and a need to accelerate project delivery.  Working with NECR would significantly delay the schedule of the project.  Keeping the scope limited will also avoid the buried utilities located between the railroad and VT Route 2A and will limit major impacts to traffic.  There was a question how the voids surrounding the culvert will be addressed.  We will evaluate how much material around the culvert has been lost, and if needed, we can pump grout in to fill any voids. 

Bridge 17A, VT Route 289

• Scope of Work:  This project will involve a rehabilitation with a liner or an invert (repair of just the bottom portion of the culvert), to be determined in design.  As discussed, this is a relatively young structure which still has a lot of good shape and condition.  The deterioration is only seen in the invert of the culvert. 
• Maintenance of Traffic:  A liner or invert will require only minor traffic control measures to set up temporary construction staging areas along the slopes of VT Route 289.  Slight speed reductions may be used and occasional minor delays may be experienced as construction vehicles enter and leave the project site. 
• Discussion about pH of Alder Brook: There was discussion about what type of material would be used for the rehabilitation.  As discussed, galvanized pipe does not do well in the alder brook and does not hold up due to the pH being corrosive.  If a liner is installed, it will be coated with an appropriate material.  There are many good options here including a geopolymer spray-on coating which would hold up well in these conditions.  This could also be a spray on invert repair that just sprays up the sides of the culvert where we are seeing deterioration or a concrete invert, which would both do well in these conditions.  There was a question about design life.  A rehabilitation here would be expected to have a 30-to-50-year design life depending on the type of rehabilitation chosen.  A member of the community asked if we could look into the pH issue of the Alder Brook and investigate what is causing the corrosive conditions in order to mitigate the issue and preserve other structures.  There are numerous similar reaches all throughout Vermont that have corrosive conditions, and this is a wider scale issue.  Investigating the cause of corrosiveness of the Alder Brook, as well as other corrosive streams, is outside of the scope of this project.   
• Discussion about Pedestrian Needs: The need for a pedestrian crossing at this location was brought up.  While VT Route 289 is a limited access highway that does not allow pedestrian traffic, a member of the audience noted that there is a need to cross pedestrians from one side of VT Route 289 to the other side of VT Route 289.  As discussed, a pedestrian crossing is outside of the scope of this rehabilitation project. 
• Discussion about Wildlife Connectivity: A member of the community asked if we had considered long term wildlife coordination/connection since this culvert connects two major wildlife blocks.  We consider wildlife connection with all structure’s projects and a VTrans wildlife biologist was involved in the scoping process and ultimate decision to rehabilitate this structure.  As discussed, there are thousands of culverts on the State system and not every culvert can be replaced due to funding constraints.  This culvert is a great candidate for rehabilitation from a resiliency, condition, and hydraulic standpoint.   This young culvert is only 30 years old with many more years of expected service life and rehabilitation was determined to be the most appropriate scope for this location.