Project Location: Town of Chester in Windsor County on Town Highway 18 (Thompson Road) over Williams River. The bridge is located approximately 1.5 miles south of the intersection of VT Route 10 and VT Route 103.

The Chester Bridge 62 project includes a full bridge replacement with a proposed new bridge off alignment with removal of Bridges 62 and 72 and construction of the associated driveways.  The existing one-lane structure is a 41-foot long single-span timber deck on rolled steel beams and dry stone masonry abutments.  The structure currently has a deck rating of 6 (satisfactory), a superstructure rating of 5 (fair), and a substructure rating of 4 (poor).  

VTrans evaluated alternatives for rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge in an engineering study completed in March, 2019. This study assessed the proposed design criteria for the structure, right-of-way, wetlands, hydraulics, and archaeological impacts. Several alternatives were considered, including: no action, rehabilitation, and full bridge replacement On and Off Alignment. The scoping report evaluated an offsite detour, the existing bridge, 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 Off-Alignment.  Traffic will be maintained on the existing bridges during construction. 

It is anticipated that the bridge will be constructed during the summer of 2025.