South Burlington secures final funding for I-89 pedestrian bridge

Staff

1 year ago

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The city of South Burlington has finally closed the funding gap needed for a long-anticipated bike and pedestrian bridge over Interstate 89.

“South Burlington has done so much to build community. We’ve got this interstate, and that divides the community,” Vermont Senator Peter Welch said during a visit Friday to announce that the congressional delegation has secured over $8 million for the decades-old plan to move forward. “We are connecting communities. That’s what life is really about. In South Burlington and in other communities around Vermont, we are trying to build in ways with our infrastructure.”

South Burlington has been crafting the most recent plan for the bridge over the last five years, working with the regional planning commission. The project will cost around $23 million and construction plans are now moving forward. shaping up.

“We have been working all along through the design components of it, working with the adjacent property owners to make sure that we have all the accesses, rights of way, and all that. We are moving essentially into permitting, design, bids, and then construction over the next couple of years,” said South Burlington Director of Planning & Zoning Paul Conner.

City Manager Jessie Baker hopes the bridge will not just be a connector but also a destination for residents and visitors. “We really wanted to make it a place within itself. It is also a key connector point in our community, both from our South Burlington residences on this side of I-89 and our other residences on the other side of 89. So, this location is really designed to be where people are naturally going to want to cross the interstate,” she said

Construction for the new bridge should start at the beginning of next year.

Money to bridge the funding gap is on its way for a project to make South Burlington more walkable.

The city is planning to build a pedestrian bridge over Interstate 89 at Exit 14.

Now, the Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods grant program is providing over $8 million. The project is also partly funded by a tax increment financing or TIF district.

The design was developed through public outreach and construction is expected to begin in 2025 and be finished by 2026.