Project Location: Town of Hartford in Windsor County on VA Cutoff Road (Town Highway 6) over The White River and Town Highway 98. The bridge is located approximately 0.2 miles north of the junction with US Route 4.

The Hartford Bridge 7 project includes a full bridge replacement with a wider structure that is realigned with Christian Street. The existing structure is a 559-foot long 4-Span Steel Deck Truss. The structure currently has a deck rating of 6 (satisfactory), a superstructure rating of 4 (poor), and a substructure rating of 6 (satisfactory). This bridge was constructed in 1929, and Reconstructed in 1973.

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, rare/threatened/endangered species impacts, hydraulics, and historic impacts. Several alternatives were considered, including: no action, deck replacement with truss rehabilitation, and full bridge replacement on and off-alignment. The scoping report evaluated an offsite detour or a temporary bridge for maintenance of traffic.

Given the age of the structure, site constraints, exsiting geometry, needs of the Town, and current conditions, the engineering study recommended a full bridge replacement on a new alignment. The new bridge will be widened by approximately 8-feet to meet the minimum standards for width as set forth in the Vermont state standards.  This will include a 5.5-foot sidewalk with 4-foot wide shoulders and 11-foot wide travel lanes.