Construction Updates

Details

Created on Wednesday, 24 September 2014 16:08

Written by Cassandra Bernier

NORTHEAST KINGDOM- Construction around St. Johnsbury and Lyndonville is projected to wrap up in the next month.

In St. Johnsbury, paving for the West-Side Project starts next week and the entire operation is expected to be completed by mid-October.  

The Western Avenue Project has been a road block for many people, including parents and students of the St. Johnsbury Schools. Construction has been going on since the spring, causing many issues for commuters.

Buses have had to find detours to make their route more smooth. The biggest problem is the distraction it causes to students while they are trying to learn.

Patrick Campbell, Facilty Coordinator at the St. Johnsbury School, said, "When they started the project they had to take concrete out of the roadbed, so, it was noisy and it bothered some of the classrooms. It shook the building from time to time, but that was over in a few days."

Now students will have to deal with the distractions that come with putting the base layer in Western Avenue in the upcoming month. The final coat of asphalt will not be done until next year.

The last road project being worked on this year will be on Breezy Hill Road. Residents say that the road has needed repaving for alsmost fifteen years now, and St. Johnsbury selectmen have finally given the "OK" to repave the road.

According to the Assistant Town Manager, David Ormiston, the road is set to be repaved on October 7th and 8th, but there is a possibility that it could come sooner.

St. Johnsbury is not the only town that has had many road projects in the works this summer, the town of Lyndonville has been stuck in traffic for months now.

Construction has been going on for five months now through the middle of town and there is no good way to get around it unless you really know your way around. This includes knowing where construction is and ways to get around it.

Ranson Hudson, the motorcycle driver that is seen around town with his dog on the back agrees with this. "If you know that they're over there and you gotta be on the other side you can always figure it our someway. There are enough side streets, but that don't work for all areas, but it does for some," he says.

Despite traffic backups every day, some businesses are still doing well.

The owner of Bagel Depot says, "It hasn't been as bad as it could be. The few days that they were out in front we had a few slower days but the work certainly is needed and it'll be very nice when it's done."

All construction in the Lyndonville area is scheduled to be done by the end of October.