The flooding felt throughout the Northeast two weeks ago is still being felt now, especially in Vermont. Over 120 roads have opened since the flooding, but work continues as more repairs are needed.
The flood waters hurt the aging infrastructure.
“It’s all hands on deck right now,” said Joshua Paquette, an engineer with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans).
High water compromised the foundation of a bridge on Route 110 in Chelsea, causing the span to begin to fall apart. Work is now underway to build a replacement bridge.
“It’s very challenging because all of our bridges -- they were put in almost a 100 years ago so they are all coming due to be replaced at the same time,” Paquette said.
A bridge was completely destroyed on Route 113. Paquette says work is moving along there as well with a similar temporary. “The only difference is there is no existing structure anymore,” he said.
Governor Phil Scott Tuesday urged everyone to be patient as the state rebuilds. “There may be some frustration there but, put yourself in the place of someone who is displaced from their home, still mucking out their home in the city of Barre or Montpelier or their business -- it pales in comparison,” he said.
The damage to infrastructure across the region has a price tag of $35 million, but according to Scott, it is likely to go up. Seven roads are still not passable and nearly 296 will require additional work, work that will be taking place in the weeks, months, and even years ahead.
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Source: WCAX.com
