By Scarlett Glazebrook
Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont internship, for the Other Paper
SOUTH BURLINGTON – For people traveling on foot, walking along Williston Road over Interstate 89 means navigating the traffic barreling on and off the ramps leading to the busy highway at Exit 14. And with the short, dark days of winter around the corner, reduced visibility adds to the challenges of crossing the stretch that helps connect Burlington and South Burlington.
Now, after decades of enduring the problem, walkers and bikers can see a solution taking shape in the big construction project just south of the overpass. Construction began in late July on the new South Burlington Walk-Bike Bridge over I-89, following a groundbreaking ceremony. When completed in 2028, the bridge will be maintained by the city year round and include nighttime illumination as one of numerous safety features.
“The whole point of the bridge is to pull pedestrians away from the road and cars. So if you’re asking if it will increase road safety, absolutely” said John Christman, South Burlington deputy fire chief of fire prevention and EMS.
The latest work on the project involves placing mechanically stabilized earth walls and working on placing pier footing, according to city construction updates.
The roughly $27 million project has been on the drawing board for years and came together with the help of federal transportation grants including the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program and the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program.
The current phase of the project will connect Williston Road and the University Mall. The next phase of construction has not been awarded contracts yet. As the bulldozers and construction workers make progress, the long-discussed idea is translating to reality.
“Change comes gradually and I think there will be some people who will immediately see the benefits. Especially the people living on one side of the bridge or the other,” said Haveleh Gagne, chair of the South Burlington Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee.
Both sides of the bridge will be located in South Burlington but the west side is close to the Burlington line. People who go back and forth between the two cities are taking stock of the project. Oumar Haidara said he will definitely use the bridge when in the area or when going to shows at Higher Ground in South Burlington.
“I’m pretty positive about something like that. It reminds me of my cities back home. In Connecticut, there’s a lot of overpass bridges where people can walk. It’s pretty cool,” said Haidara, a resident of the Burlington area for almost seven years.
Gagne said the bridge could help address the affordability struggle surrounding rising gas prices, giving people an alternative to motor vehicle based-transportation.
“South Burlington has a fragmented path system right now. That is one of the biggest areas where we are missing a link but we have a lot of other links that are going to be built in the next few years,” Gagne said.
The city is currently in the process of envisioning new sections of path where residents could walk or bike more easily from South Burlington’s growing city center to downtown Burlington and points in between.
Residents can subscribe to project updates through the South Burlington government website.