By Ethan Weinstein
Beginning Aug. 30, Route 100 in Plymouth will be closed for a month, with the possibility of an extended closure. Crews will replace two bridges and culverts. A detour around the construction adds over 7 miles to the through-trip and goes over 100A, which will also be under construction for the entirety of the bridge projects, reducing traffic at times to a single lane. At the moment, there is no truck detour, so all vehicles will be forced to deal with 100A’s steep passages.
The Aug. 30-Sept. 26 timeline is tentative; a final announcement will be made two weeks prior to the planned closure, according to VTrans. If bedrock is found during construction on bridge 114, Route 100 may stay closed for an additional three weeks.
The closure will take place during some of peak leaf peeping season. And the detour will likely back up traffic.
Public Information Consultant Shawna Kitzman stated that VTrans views both the 100 and 100A construction as a single project.
VTrans estimates that the combined cost of replacing the 50-year-old bridges, 114 and 115, as well as the corresponding culverts, will be about $1.8 million. Willey Earthmoving Corp. of Windsor will handle the construction. The culverts, which channel the flow of Reservoir Brook, do not meet hydraulic standards and fall into the categories of “serious” and “poor” conditions. Although not noted by VTrans, travelers from the south could take Route 103 to Route 4, arriving in Killington by way of Rutland. While longer in distance, this route involves larger roads that permit higher speeds.
