The old drawbridge was built in 1953, and its technology has since grown outdated. Its balance deteriorated; its counterweights sometimes dipped into the lake. According to project manager Todd Sumner, repairing the bridge, as opposed to replacing it, became “cost prohibitive.”
“Technically, the superstructure — you know, some of the steel and everything — was still in decent shape. But the mechanisms for opening and closing it were not operating as well as they need to be,” Sumner said.
The bridge has malfunctioned twice in the past two years, including an episode last summer when it got stuck in the “up” position for over an hour. In addition to the safety risks of relying on outdated technology, there is a fine of up to $20,000 for every missed bridge opening.
Head engineer Greg Wilcox said that the bridge’s increasing precariousness highlighted the project’s urgency.
“We had a lot of concerns last year with the old drawbridge lasting long enough to take it out of service,” Wilcox said.
In response to the bridge’s aging, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) considered several solutions. According to Sumner, the final result was a reaction to permitting requirements: by rebuilding the bridge in the same spot, the department avoided a lengthier permitting process. He said it would have been more work to build a taller bridge, for example, or to change the bridge’s location.
“The design aspects typically are the simpler part of it, because you can engineer that,” Sumner said of permitting and building the new bridge. “Some of the other stuff that you’re balancing against is a little bit more challenging.”
He added that the project is in compliance with all of its permits, which regulate things like impact on residents and environmental effects.
The resulting temporary bridge is a modular steel bascule bridge, 30 feet wide to maintain two lanes of traffic. The original bridge is a historic twin leaf bascule bridge (i.e., a drawbridge that parts in the middle); it will be replaced with the same.
The final plan will cost over $60 million, most of which is federally funded, and it will take until 2022 to complete. From June 2018 until May 2019, the existing drawbridge remained in use while the temporary bridge was built. From now until May 2021, the temporary bridge — right next to the original — will be the only way to get from North Hero to Grand Isle.
Despite some initial concerns from residents about the impact of such large-scale construction, Wilcox said the community has responded positively to the project. He added that Cianbro Corporation, the project’s contractor, has done substantial outreach, and its efforts have paid off in community goodwill.
“They’ve done food drives and other things, and the community has been pretty happy,” Wilcox said. “The temporary bridge opens faster than the old 1953 drawbridge, so in that aspect, it’s quicker than what people are used to seeing.”
Bob Camp, owner of the Hero’s Welcome General Store in North Hero, said he was impressed by how the project has been handled.
“It’s pretty amazing to me how well they’ve done this complex job,” Camp said. “It’s expensive, takes too long, all of that. But it’s very well managed.”
Wilcox added that he hopes residents will obey the new 25 mph speed limit in the work zone. He said that the project will take a long time, in difficult working conditions, and he doesn’t want to see someone get hurt.
According to Camp, the police are enforcing the new speed limit exactly as well as Wilcox might hope. Camp knows somebody who received a $500 fine.
But in general, Wilcox, Sumner, and Camp all said that the first summer with the temporary bridge has been a success. There have been around 550 vessel crossings since the temporary bridge opened on May 15 — and of the 550 crossings, only two of them have failed. Both missteps were immediately resolved. Wilcox said he has no ongoing concerns.
“I think everything is good,” Sumner said. “At this point, they’ve all met their deadlines and everything. They did have some float in their schedule, and ended up using all of that float to get things done on time. But as far as I know, everything’s doing well.”
