WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced Monday the immediate availability of $1.2 million in quick release Emergency Relief funds for the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) to help offset costs of emergency repair work to restore Bridge 129 on Vermont Route 14 in Irasburg, which was destroyed by a propane tanker truck fire in early December 2023.
“We know how important this bridge is to the people of Vermont,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Biden-Harris administration is making these federal emergency funds available to help restore travel on this critical route as quickly and safely as possible.”
VTrans has evaluated the bridge and determined it has extensive damage and must be replaced.
The quick release Emergency Relief funding will be used immediately for the construction of a new bridge.
Currently, traffic between Irasburg and Coventry is being detoured using VT 58 and U.S. 5, which adds about four miles to the commute between the towns.
“Vermont residents and businesses are experiencing disruptions to their daily lives that often result in additional cost and delay,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “It’s imperative that we get this bridge back up and running again and open Vermont Route 14 as quickly and safely as possible.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
Understandable. Duh State that has only Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream + maple syrup to sell… would NOT have enuff $$ to fix one li’l bridge.
Y’all know that in Texis we got 3 or more counties Bigger than this itsy-bitsy Shouldn’t-Be-A State??
Plus we got Bluebell Ice Cream… made w/ milk from Contented cows.
Don’t live here? Don’t comment……..stay in Texis………..nice of the fed to kick in but we could have easily have done it ourselves…….I live in that area and that bridge is necessary.