BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A new route to downtown Burlington that has been decades in the making is expected to be completed by next year. But before the Champlain Parkway can open, it means closing.
The concept for the Champlain Parkway, a highway through Burlington’s South End was first conceived back in the 1960s. After decades of legal challenges from residents and changing administrations kept the project at bay, the second and final phase is now well underway.
The first phase, which opened in August, runs through the city’s South End. But the road won’t fulfill its promise until the section connecting to Interstate 189 is complete. And in order to do that, Pine Street will become a dead end.
“It’s going to be more difficult to get into the Queen City Park neighborhood because you’re not going to be able to come from downtown out Pine Street. On the other hand, it’s probably going to take some of the traffic off of the one-lane bridge,” said local resident Doug Goodman.
Once completed, the parkway will funnel traffic coming off Interstate 89 toward the city’s downtown. “There will be a transition from the highway into the street system such that by the time motorists get to Home Avenue. it will be 25 miles an hour and we will, you know, enter people safely into the city grid system,” said the city’s Chapin Spencer.
Upgrades that come with the parkway include significant drainage to keep sediment out of Lake Champlain, shared-use paths, and new crosswalks.
“It’s here, not something that can be… We can’t really think about it in those terms anymore. We just have to live with it — done,” Goodman said.
The project will be wrapped up in June 2026. Even though it looks close to being completed, officials say the significant drainage and stormwater upgrades need to be finished.