Project Location: Town of Royalton in Windsor County at the New England Central Railroad crossing over VT Route 14. The bridge is located approximately 0.7 miles south of the junction of VT Route 14 and VT Route 107.

The Royalton Bridge 24 project includes the replacement of the existing railroad bridge and improvements to VT Route 14. The existing structure has a span of 21' and was constructed in 1908. The bridge crossing has low vertical clearance (12'-1"), substandard roadway width (single lane) with a severe "S" curve, and the bridge is in poor condition with frequent vehicle impacts.

VTrans evaluated alternatives for a new highway-railroad crossing in an engineering study completed in October 2021. This study assessed the proposed design criteria for the crossing, right-of-way, roadway and railroad geometry, constructability, future maintenance, and overall safety of the crossing. Several alternatives were considered, including: no action, full bridge replacement, and at-grade crossing.  Maintenance of traffic options considered included an offsite detour for VT Route 14 traffic and multiple short-term closures of the railroad.

The engineering study recommended a full bridge replacement with a 30 MPH roadway design speed.  The proposed typical roadway section will include two 11' travel lanes with 4' shoulders to meet the minimum standards as set forth in the Vermont State Design Standards and the recommended shoulder width for bicycles since the project is located on a high priority bicycle corridor.  The proposed minimum vertical clearance below the bridge will be 14'-6".