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Bike bridge project moves along
By Modisane Kwanza
Free Press Staff Writer
Construction could begin this winter on a bike and pedestrian bridge connecting Burlington and Colchester, despite state fiscal problems and rising cost estimates for the project.
The projected price tag for the bridge has grown from $1.4 million to $3.2 million. Adjusting the bridge design to meet environmental and other requirements have contributed to the increased cost estimates.
The project has two parts: a 450-foot-long bridge over the Winooski River and a 1,950-foot-
long elevated boardwalk through Delta Park in Colchester. The bridge would link bike paths in the two communities.
The state is currently expected to pick up 61 percent of the tab. Thirty-five percent would come from federal funding and the remaining 4 percent from the two communities.
This year, the Legislature approved a budget of almost $7 million dollars for bike and pedestrian projects statewide, said Samuel Lewis, the state Transportation Agency's deputy director of project development. The Winooski River bridge, which must be approved by the two communities, is one of some 300 transportation projects the agency has planned this year, Lewis said.
The agency is pursuing the project in the face of declines in anticipated state revenues that already have led to some cuts in state services. Lewis said the bridge is a priority because the agency believes bike and pedestrian paths have statewide support.
"Our Long Range Transportation Plan supports the construction of bike and pedestrian facilities. Vermonters have told us that that is an important part of the mix of transportation alternatives along with public transit," Lewis said. "This particular project is an important link in the bike path system in the region and is supported by the Legislature and the governor in addition to the local communities."
Construction would be restricted to the winter so as not to disturb the ecologically sensitive areas in Delta Park. That means the cost of the project would be spread over two fiscal years, lessening the impact on the current budget, Lewis pointed out.
The agency also is looking for alternative sources of federal funding that could reduce the share of the state and the communities, Lewis said.
The project also has economic benefits, local officials said. Connecting Burlington and Colchester could bring more residents and tourists eager to shop into either of the towns.
"It will bring in a lot of dollars in the future," said Colchester Town Manager Al Voegele.
A prefabricated bridge would be set on the existing abutments from an old rail bridge, which was taken down in the early 1970s. The bridge would be 23-feet wide, with a 12-foot wide bikeway and 6-foot-wide pedestrian lane.
A permanent boardwalk would replace the wooden walkway running along the bike path through Delta Park. The park is home to rare plants and animals and serves as a nesting habitat for endangered species and wildlife, such as the beach dune tiger beetle and the map turtle. The boardwalk would be elevated to allow wildlife to move about freely, and metal railings would be installed to discourage users from tramping into delicate areas.
If all the permits are approved, the Transportation Agency hopes to put the project to bid in early November. The agency has federal permits in place for the bridge, but the U.S. Coast Guard must approve the bridge location. The Coast Guard is focusing on how the bridge will affect navigation on the Winooski River. The Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and boaters want to be sure that the bridge is high enough to allow sailboats and other tall vessels to pass.
Local permits also are needed. In Burlington, financial, maintenance and right of way agreements were submitted to the City Council on Monday, said Bob Whalen, superintendent of park planning.
The Colchester Select Board will hold a hearing tonight on funding for the bike bridge. The town's Development Review Board is scheduled to review the Transportation Agency's applications on Oct. 23, said Colchester Town Planner Sarah Hadd.
The project has many benefits, one being that it fills another gap in Chittenden County's emerging bike path network, said Connie Livingston, bike and pedestrian environmental planner for Burlington. Local groups envision a bike route along Lake Champlain that runs between Vermont and Canada. Colchester's bike path reaches the middle of Lake Champlain along the Causeway Rail Trail.
The bridge would essentially replace the bike ferry that operates between Burlington and Delta Park. Local Motion, the non-profit group that operates the ferry, would move the operation up to a gap in the Causeway Trail. The group, which promotes alternative modes of transportation, wants to see minimal interruption in the ferry during the bridge's construction, said Brian Costello, the group's Island Line developer.
"They're trying to accommodate us," Costello said.
Winooski bike bridge construction begins
By Matt Sutkoski, Free Press Staff Writer --- Monday, October 27, 2003
Next year, bicyclists will be able to glide over a bridge spanning the Winooski River between Burlington and Colchester. The project was almost scrapped because some citizens and lawmakers were appalled by its $3.1 million price tag, but it is now scheduled to open in the spring.
The 560-foot span from the northern end of the Burlington Bike Path to Delta Park in Colchester at the mouth of the Winooski River is now under construction.
Charlie Auer, 72, watches the work from his perch at the adjacent Auer Family Boathouse. The bike path attracts both locals and tourists, some from as far away as Germany and Nepal, he said. He predicted the bridge would increase tourist traffic.
"The bike path generates a lot of money, brings a lot of money into the state," Auer said. "There's more people cycling right now. There should be places for them."
Price tag
The investment required to build the bridge almost stopped it cold.
The project was initially expected to cost about $1.4 million, but the price tag doubled when plans were changed to adjust the bridge elevation to allow for boat traffic on the Winooski River.
An elevated walkway through Delta Park on the Colchester side of the bridge was added to the design to address environmental concerns. That also contributed to the higher cost.
In January, five Vermont lawmakers and two private citizens sued the state over the spiraling bridge costs, but Gov. Jim Douglas reached an out-of-court settlement with them.
In July, the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization approved measures that funneled federal money toward the bike project this winter.
Federal money is contributing $2.5 million to the bridge construction. The state is kicking in about $300,000 with local municipalities paying the remainder, said Sam Lewis of the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
With the hard financial planning finally finished, the state awarded two construction contracts totaling $2.56 million to Kubricky Construction Corp. of Glens Falls, N.Y., Lewis said. The rest of the cost went toward design and engineering.
Construction plans
The bulk of the construction will be done in the winter, when endangered beetles and plants near the bridge are dormant and less likely to be disturbed by construction, Lewis said.
A quarter-mile section of the bike path on the Burlington side is closed until the bridge is finished. Access to nearby homes and businesses is unaffected by the construction, said Wayne Gross, the Burlington Parks and Recreation director.
Lewis said the bridge construction this winter will be a spectacle. The bridge will be assembled on a barge sitting in the middle of the Winooski. Cranes will lift the three sections of the bridge into place, Lewis said. One of the sections will measure about 260 feet in length, the other two pieces will be about 225 feet apiece, he said.
The contract stipulates construction must end by June 6, Lewis said, but he expects most of the work to be finished before then.
Bike ferry
The new bridge will put the bicycle ferry that had brought people and bicycles across the river on a limited basis out of business.
Local Motion, a Burlington organization that promotes alternative transportation, operated the bike ferry. "The bridge draws the four years of the bike ferry to a close, and that was an interesting history," said Chapin Spencer, Local Motion executive director.
But Spencer isn't complaining. He lobbied hard for the bridge. The span will allow people to cross between Burlington and Colchester without relying on a limited bike ferry schedule, he said.
"This bridge really serves morning commuters, and early- and late-season exercise enthusiasts and a lot of winter users," Spencer said.
The bike ferry might end up in South Hero, where service for bicyclists might start in 2005, Spencer said.
At his boathouse, Auer is looking forward to the bridge and the bike path's busier days. "I don't know if it's going to help me, though," he said.
Sometimes bicyclists come off the path, park their bikes at the boathouse and rent kayaks or canoes from Auer. Or they buy candy, water and juice.
More often, though, bicyclists pass Auer by because they already have supplies, or are getting enough exercise on their bikes without adding kayaking to the mix, he said.
Even so, Auer said he looks forward to seeing more people on the bike path. "They advertise it nationwide," he said. "We do enjoy meeting them."
Contact Matt Sutkoski at 660-1846 or msutkosk@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
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