The Weathersfield Bridge 15 project includes the repair of the existing 11 ft. dia. multi-plate pipe culvert. The culvert currently has a rating of 5, “Fair” and has cracking along the bolt line. The culvert was installed in 1959 and is 114 ft. in length. There are signs that the culvert is deforming or squashing. There are no known roadway deficiencies in the project area.

VTrans evaluated alternatives for rehabilitation or replacement of the culvert in an engineering study completed in December 2014. The study assessed the proposed design criteria for the bridges/culverts, existing conditions, rare/threatened/endangered species impacts, archaeological resources, and wetland resources. Several alternatives were considered including no action, rehabilitation using a couple of lining techniques, replacement using trenchless technology, and replacement using open cut. The engineering study recommended repair of the culvert using either slip lining (adding a new liner inside the existing culvert) or spray on lining (a new geopolymer mortar sprayed on the inside of the culvert). Both of the repair methods can be designed to provide full or partial structural integrity.

Since the roadway seems to meet the standards contained in the Vermont State Standards no changes to the roadway are proposed for this project.