The Vergennes PEL Study: Where We Are and What’s Next

By the time Spring officially arrives, the Vermont Agency of Transportation and Addison County Regional Planning Commission will have invested four years in evaluating transportation alternatives that would reduce the impact of large truck traffic on those who work, shop, travel, and live along VT 22A in Vergennes.

Just in the past 18 months since I joined the project, we’ve held 90 meetings with stakeholders across northern Addison County:  public meetings, neighborhood get-togethers, and 1:1 discussions with individual homeowners, business owners, and town leaders.

The purpose of these meetings has been to document your concerns, your perspective, and your hopes regarding the problem and its solution.  And to build consensus among the seven communities participating in the study on the best alternative(s) to advance.

After all those meetings and investment, what have we accomplished?  The truck impact on VT 22A and Vergennes has been the focus of at least three previous studies spanning 30 years.  Have we made any progress?

The answer is decidedly Yes!  But with some cautionary notes about what’s next.  Let’s take a deeper look as the Vergennes PEL Study wraps up its four years of work.

The Results

After evaluating thirteen different transportation alternatives, the PEL Study team and the local representatives on its Technical and Policy committees (see here to learn who served on these committees) is recommending three alternatives for further, in-depth study:  two new roadway alternatives west of downtown Vergennes and upgrades to state highway VT 17 to tie into US 7.

The link for each route below will take you to a visualization of that alternative.  It’s important to note that these are just concepts and not a blueprint for a future roadway.

• The Pink Alternative—Northbound truck traffic would leave VT 22A at the western end of Prospect Cemetery before crossing Panton Road just to the west of the Otter Creek Mobile Home Park. A new bridge over Otter Creek would take truck traffic onto state-owned land, where the new roadway would turn to the east, crossing Botsford Road and the Potash Brook ravine before rejoining VT 22A just north of the Vergennes Police Station.  Southbound truck traffic would reverse the route.

• The Blue Alternative—Northbound truck traffic would leave VT 22A at the Bailey Farm in Panton and head north across farmland and Panton Road before crossing Otter Creek on a new bridge onto state-owned land and following the same route as the Pink Alternative above. Southbound truck traffic would reverse the route.

• The Purple Alternative—Northbound truck traffic would leave VT 22A at Addison Four Corners, turning eastward to traverse the 7.5 miles along VT 17 to US 7 at New Haven Junction, and then head north. Southbound traffic would follow VT 22A through downtown Vergennes as usual.

These are the results and final recommendations of the four-year Vergennes PEL Study.  But what happens next?

Here’s What’s Next

The Vergennes PEL Study team will hold an Open House informational meeting at the American Legion in Vergennes on Wednesday, April 2, between 3 and 7 PM.  This is an opportunity to meet individually with team members and discuss the results of the PEL Study and next steps.

Following that, later this Spring the Vergennes PEL Study team will release a final report summarizing its process and findings.

At that point, the Vergennes PEL Project will be put on a “candidate list” of future state transportation projects.

How does a project move from the candidate list to an approved project?  Through local advocacy and the identification of available Federal funding. 

As Vermonters, we are all aware of the many demands on state and federal funds today and the pressing need to improve what we already have.  And as many of you know, VTrans is engaged in a multi-year effort to significantly improve VT 22A from Fair Haven north to Vergennes.

Well, lots to talk about!  I hope to see you at the April 2 meeting and, in the meantime, please reach out to me if you have questions or concerns.  I’m happy to respond.

 

Jim Gish

Vergennes PEL Study Community Liaison

jgish@vhb.com

(802) 989-0608 (my cell)