KILLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Construction underway on the Killington Access Road is laying the groundwork for the second phase of a $47 million infrastructure project that officials say will be transformative for the region.
The section of the Killington Access Road that connects with Route 4 no longer exists. Crews operating heavy machinery are hard at work tearing up the pavement and blasting granite to make necessary improvements.
“It’s to address existing stormwater management issues and to address existing unsafe grades,” said Killington Town Manager Michael Ramsey.
Tax increment financing is helping to make the initial infrastructure phase possible. Town officials cut the ribbon last October on the other major piece of the infrastructure puzzle, a pump house that will feed water up the mountain. Both projects are making way for a new village at the base of Killington Resort that will include condos, ski-in-ski-out homes, restaurants, and retail. It’s all estimated to increase the town’s taxable grand list by nearly $300 million.
“Tourism is everything to Killington and to have the Six Peaks Village and the impact that is going to have on the resort, we are going to be the big draw in Vermont,” Ramsey said.
And a big boost for existing businesses, like iPie Pizzeria. “It’s going to bring a lot of people here. It is going to grow to a full year-round town. Everything is going to be good, especially with the town doing the water,” said the restaurant’s Oleg Hrynco.
Skiers looking for late-season snow are being detoured up an adjacent road. “Any businesses past the traffic light, that may hurt them a little bit because there is no traffic. But it’s only temporary — like two to three months — so we can survive. This is the best time to do it,” Hrynco said.
Officials say the Access Road should be passable once again by July, the heart of the summer tourism season.
