Project Location: Town of Westminster in Windham County on Saxtons River Road (FAS Route 126/Town Highway 1) over Saxtons River.  The bridge is located approximately 1.5 miles west of the junction with US Route 5.

The Westminster Bridge 5 project includes a deck replacement including new bridge joints.  The existing structure is a 222-foot long 3-Span Riveted Two Girder Bridge and is considered Fracture Critical.  The structure currently has a deck rating of 5 (fair), a superstructure rating of 5 (fair), and a substructure rating of 6 (satisfactory).  This bridge was constructed in 1940.

VTrans evaluated alternatives for rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge in an engineering study completed in April, 2019. This study assessed the proposed design criteria for the structure, right-of-way, rare/threatened/endangered species impacts, hydraulics, and archaeological resource impacts. Several alternatives were considered, including: no action, minor rehabilitation, deck replacement, 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 minor rehabilitation with traffic maintained on an offsite detour for 60 days.  Based on the community's desire for a wider structure, a full deck replacement was chosen.  The new deck will provide two 11-foot travel lanes with 3-foot shoulders. 

It is anticipated that the bridge will be constructed during the summer of 2022.