Vermont

[KEVIN_224]

Are they trying to keep some traffic off of US Route 5 through town by having you use I-91 for one exit? I know VT Route 9 heads east from here, then runs concurrently with US Route 5 north to the Exit 3 rotary.

Personally, I always thought the "91" font on those interstate shields was ugly.

[Alps]

Are they trying to keep some traffic off of US Route 5 through town by having you use I-91 for one exit? I know VT Route 9 heads east from here, then runs concurrently with US Route 5 north to the Exit 3 rotary.

Personally, I always thought the "91" font on those interstate shields was ugly.

9 has long been signed on I-91 to the connector. Last I heard, VT actually did reroute 9 that way and removed it from Brattleboro, but that's secondhand hearsay.

[KEVIN_224]

That might make sense, Alps. However, the last time I was in Brattleboro, VT Route 9 was still signed as going east to downtown, then north up US Route 5 to the rotary.

[froggie]

Are they trying to keep some traffic off of US Route 5 through town by having you use I-91 for one exit? I know VT Route 9 heads east from here, then runs concurrently with US Route 5 north to the Exit 3 rotary.

Personally, I always thought the "91" font on those interstate shields was ugly.

9 has long been signed on I-91 to the connector. Last I heard, VT actually did reroute 9 that way and removed it from Brattleboro, but that's secondhand hearsay.

Exactly what it is...hearsay.  VT 9 still explicitly goes through the center of Brattleboro.  The problem is that signage on VT 9 approaching I-91 on both sides is a bit ambiguous.

[shadyjay]

When I-91 signs were replaced, they were made "half" clearer that VT 9 goes through Brattleboro.  By half, I mean the Exit 2 signs were changed from "9 WEST" to just "9", while Exit 3 remained "5/9 EAST".  However, there's still a sign right before Exit 2 northbound that says "9 EAST USE EXIT 3" and one southbound before Exit 3 stating "9 WEST USE EXIT 2".  If you signed Exit 3 as just "5 / 9", you may confuse those who don't know and get off there, when in reality they want to head west.  So the current signage at Exit 3 is the best in that case.

I am really surprised that they even went as far as replacing the overheads with new overheads.  I would think ground signage would be enough to get the point across, but perhaps there's not enough room on the side of the road for that. 

[froggie]

A bit of an oops in Lyndon this morning.  Produce truck driver damaged the overhead on the Millers Run Bridge (ALT VT 122 in Lyndon).  We passed by about a half hour later and it was very much blocked off right away.

[froggie]

Found this map in the 1974 Final EIS for I-91 between Ryegate and Lyndon.  It shows that VTrans did consider a full cloverleaf interchange at I-91/US 2 in St. Johnsbury, but left the two direct ramps for a future endeavor.  Given the general lack of traffic volume, it's highly unlikely they'll ever get built.

[webfil]

A bit of an oops in Lyndon this morning.  Produce truck driver damaged the overhead on the Millers Run Bridge (ALT VT 122 in Lyndon).  We passed by about a half hour later and it was very much blocked off right away.

From the looks, only cosmetic damage to the portals appears to have been done, but news sources (1, 2) claim the structural damage is extensive. Any follow-up on this?

[froggie]

Bridge remains closed.  A bridge engineer looked at the bridge last week as part of the effort to determine how much needs to be replaced.  It's hard to tell from just looking at it, but every diagonal support beam on the upstream side of the bridge was taken out.  No word yet on timeline.

[jcroyer80]

Third phase of A-35 extension in Quebec announced today.  Will add 8.9 kilometers to the current project.  Once finished there will be 4.5 km remaining between A-35 and the US border/Interstate 89 (Phase 4).   This is just the beginning of the planning phase so of course no specific construction dates have been determined.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/canada-and-quebec-support-the-development-of-a-more-efficient-road-network-between-monteregie-region-and-the-u-s--877441475.html

[vdeane]

Let's hope the eventually build the last phase too.  I don't know whether that phase being on the existing four lane divided portion makes it more likely to get built (because of the different scope of work) or less likely ("eh, it's good enough as-is").  At least it will be possible to fully clinch A-35 once this phase is done (unless you're picky about such things) as the last phase is on the existing alignment.

[Alps]

Let's hope the eventually build the last phase too.  I don't know whether that phase being on the existing four lane divided portion makes it more likely to get built (because of the different scope of work) or less likely ("eh, it's good enough as-is").  At least it will be possible to fully clinch A-35 once this phase is done (unless you're picky about such things) as the last phase is on the existing alignment.

Much more likely to get the last phase built once this is done.

[jcroyer80]

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Committee just approved an amendment to the FY2020 TIP to add supplemental signage at all I-89 exits in Chittenden County identifying the mile marker number, but NOT replacing the sequential exit numbers.  The supplemental signage will be posted on the sign posts below the BGS.  I can only assume this will occur in other counties statewide, but this was the first version i'd seen.  Note, the example they used was from an exit off of I-91.   My apologies, for some reason i can't seem to add the image to this post.  However if you scroll down to page 3 of this short document you can see it (and maybe someone else can grab the picture).
https://www.ccrpcvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NovemberTACPacket_191029.pdf

[KEVIN_224]

Does this help ya?

[Duke87]

So... Is this weird method of not actually renumbering the exits an official VTrans thing, or did Chittenden County just cook that up themselves?

[vdeane]

I must say, I am NOT a fan of VT trying to weasel out of a conversion.  Nor do I understand it.  Out of all the New England states other than Maine, they are by far the MOST suited for mile-based numbers, but even CT doesn't have this level of resistance.

[cl94]

I must say, I am NOT a fan of VT trying to weasel out of a conversion.  Nor do I understand it.  Out of all the New England states other than Maine, they are by far the MOST suited for mile-based numbers, but even CT doesn't have this level of resistance.

VT in particular is a lot of old people who want to resist change as long as possible. They do have the highest median age in the country outside of Maine (converted) and New Hampshire (not converting). VTrans is likely anticipating a large amount of pushback. It's not like they can roll it out as gradually as CT, RI, and MA can.

[yakra]

My reaction is a bit more optimistic.
Get people familiar with the numbers in preparation for a conversion.

[PHLBOS]

VT in particular is a lot of old people who want to resist change as long as possible. They do have the highest median age in the country outside of Maine (converted) and New Hampshire (not converting).

Based on information that was released last week and posted on the New Hampshire thread; NH has announced a plan to convert its exit numbers.

[jcroyer80]

So... Is this weird method of not actually renumbering the exits an official VTrans thing, or did Chittenden County just cook that up themselves?

This was cooked up by Vtrans and agreed to by the DOT (according to meeting minutes).   I'm guessing you'll see this throughout the entire state, I had just seen it first mentioned by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Committee and thought it was worth posting about. 

[froggie]

I reached out to a transportation planner at CCRPC (for those who don't know, it's the MPO for Burlington and Chittenden County) who replied that this was indeed initiated by VTrans and agreed to by FHWA as a "temporary solution".

[The Ghostbuster]

I'm sure Vermont will convert eventually (how could they not?). How soon that conversion will come is anybody's guess.

[abqtraveler]

So... Is this weird method of not actually renumbering the exits an official VTrans thing, or did Chittenden County just cook that up themselves?

Vermont might be thinking that having dual sequential/mileage exit placards would give them a Get Out of Jail Free card from doing a full conversion to mile-based exit numbers. I suspect that what we're seeing might represent some sort of a compromise between Governor Phil Scott and the FHWA on the matter.

[amroad17]

Maybe Vermont should bring back "MILE 139  EXIT 24" signs like some other states used to have.

[froggie]

Two news items out of Burlington lately.

The Burlington City Council recently approved a new roundabout on US 7.  The roundabout will replace the existing pseudo-rotary where Shelburne St, Willard St, Locust St, and Ledge Rd all come together south of downtown.  The plan is for Shelburne, Willard, and Locust to directly junction at the roundabout.  Ledge Rd will have a partial intersection at Shelburne just south of the roundabout.  There will be no direct left turns allowed from Ledge Rd to southbound Shelburne...traffic will turn right and use the roundabout to U-turn south.

The city expects to begin construction in 2021.


Meanwhile, the Champlain Parkway project is delayed again.  FHWA rescinded the Record of Decision for the project, citing environmental justice concerns raised by opponents.  This because the neighborhood adjacent to the project has a higher-than-normal proportion of low-income and minority residents.  The city and VTrans expect the delay to be 4 to 6 months as they review 2010 census data for the neighborhood....this because the EIS was completed before the 2010 census.  The city still hopes to begin construction next year.