A bridge over some of the heaviest traffic in Chittenden County will allow pedestrians and cyclists safe passage over I-89 at Exit 14 in South Burlington.
The $14.5 million East-West Crossing Project, as it’s called, is a key component of South Burlington’s plan to create a vibrant downtown. It has long been on the city’s wish list, according to Ilona Blanchard, the city’s community development director.
“The interstate is a huge barrier to biking and walking,” Blanchard said. “It’s wonderful to have that exit there from an access perspective, but it definitely creates a divider.”
“This bridge is going to be a major connector for folks trying to get in and out of Burlington from all over the area,” said Karen Yacos, director of Local Motion, an advocacy group that promotes improved conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians.
The project is budgeted at $14.5 million. The city has received a $9.7 million federal transportation grant to build the walk-bike bridge and plans to use local funding, through sources such as tax increment financing, to cover the rest.
South Burlington is partnering with the state Agency of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration on the project, which will hug the south side of the I-89 interchange and attach to Williston Road, which doubles as Route 2, via shared use paths.
The city kicked off the first phase with a public workshop last Thursday that drew residents to the South Burlington Public Library and City Hall to brainstorm what the bridge and path could look like.
City planners are collecting public input this year and hope to finalize design plans by June 2024, with construction expected to begin a year or two later.
The pathway would follow the alignment of the ramp at Exit 14, and the bridge would be built south of the interchange where the ramps begin, planners said at the meeting. A shared use path adjacent to Staples Plaza, along the interchange’s southwestern edge, and a connection to a shared use path that runs through the Quarry Hill neighborhood would connect to the western end. The eastern terminus would be reached through a shared-use route close to the Comfort Inn and CVS.
“We are looking forward to seeing this project move forward because crossing I-89 is challenging for many cyclists and pedestrians, especially for less experienced riders and children,” said Christine Forde, senior transportation planner for the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. “Having a safer and more comfortable facility would provide an important link in the transportation network for people choosing to travel by walking or biking.”
The bike path is part of South Burlington’s City Center initiative — a yearslong effort to connect neighborhoods, create attractive public spaces and encourage compact growth, based on studies by the South Burlington Planning Commission.
“Having this really uncomfortable space in the middle of the county is really problematic for encouraging people to bicycle in,” Blanchard said. “So if we remove that barrier, we create a lot of access to City Center, to the university, to downtown Burlington and to the medical center along the bridge.”
