Project Location: Town of Bennington in Bennington County on Town Highway 2 (VT Route 9/Main Street) in the Urban Compact, approximately 0.5 miles east of the intersection of Town Highway 2 (North Street) with Town Highway 1 (South Street). 

The Bennington Bridge 6 project over the Walloomsac River includes a full bridge replacement on the existing alignment.  The existing structure is a 48-foot long single-span Reinforced Concrete T-Beam Bridge. The structure currently has a deck rating of 6 (satisfactory), a superstructure rating of 5 (fair), and a substructure rating of 5 (fair). Town Highway 2 (VT Route 9) is classified as a Class 1 Town Highway through the project area and is located on the National Highway System. The bridge was constructed in 1923. 

VTrans evaluated alternatives for rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge in an engineering study completed in May, 2019. This study assessed the proposed design criteria for the structure, right-of-way, threatened/endangered species, hydraulics, archaeological impacts, and historic impacts. Several alternatives were considered, including: no action, minor rehabilitation, superstructure replacement, and full bridge replacement. The scoping report evaluated an offsite detour, phased construction, or a temporary bridge for maintenance of traffic.

Given the age of the structure, site constraints and current conditions, the engineering study recommended a full bridge replacement with traffic maintained on an offsite detour.    

It is anticipated that the project will begin in the summer of 2025 with a bridge closure period in the spring of 2026.