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Citywide Project Updates, May

3 May 2018

Project Updates, including Maple/Battery Intersection

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DPW continues to make early progress on implementing the second year of the Sustainable Infrastructure Plan - to reinvest in the aging core infrastructure that connects us. We will be rehabilitating water infrastructure, reconstructing sidewalks and repaving miles of roads. Our crews and contractors have gotten an early start to the construction season, albeit with some imperfect weather.

We know these projects bring disruptions to your normal transportation routines and to parking. We appreciate all of your patience while we look to execute these projects safely and as quickly as weather will allow. As a reminder, our local businesses remain open and we should all make sure to visit them and show our support. If you are visiting one of these businesses, you are allowed to access them via our 'Local Traffic Only' streets. Please use caution and travel safely.

Some early highlights, include:

  • Paved Plattsburg Avenue and should finish paving Cherry St this week

  • Started to lay asphalt down on Pine Street (north of Flynn). We had a variable traffic pattern this week, though expect to revert back to two way next week. We expect to finish paving the portion of Pine St south of Lakeside and north of Flynn over the next two weeks.

  • Our water team will begin work on relining the two 12" water mains between Howard and Lakeside in mid-May after we've put a base course of pavement down to allow for safe, smooth traffic flow. Our paving crews will eventually come back to this stretch to finish the job. We expect mostly two way traffic flow during these projects, albeit with occasional one-way alternating with flaggers.

  • Replacing the water main on Maple (between Battery and Pine). Maple St is local traffic only between Battery and Pine. Battery is local traffic only south of King. Businesses ARE open and the road is accessible if visiting one of these establishments.

  • Relining another stretch on Maple (Pine to St. Paul) and the water main on Pine St (between Main and Maple). As a reminder, Pine St is one way northbound between Maple and Main.

  • Mobilizing to replace a 100+ year old water main that's 1,500 feet long on Colchester Ave. Paving will follow this project. While two way traffic will be maintained, there may be periods of alternating one-way traffic with flaggers. There will also be no parking during these projects. The water main project will enhance fireflows and decrease or eliminate unplanned disruptions due to emergency work. For the letter property owners received about this project, with additional details, see here: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/DPW/Water-Main-Replacement-Project

An exciting intersection project at Maple & Battery

  • We will begin working to overhaul the Maple and Battery intersection signals the week of 5/8.

  • This work will enhance pedestrian safety, continue to beautify our streetscape and give more certainty to all users of the road.

  • We will eliminate the overhead wires and wood poles, and instead have vertically mounted traffic signals, with pedestrian actuated phases. We will bring the curbs up to ADA compliance and bury the conduit underground.

  • We will be doing sawcutting during the day which will lead to some daytime noise disruptions. We will communicate with the neighborhood if we expect any significant evening disturbances through this project.

On a separate note, on May 1, a DPW dump truck filled with material partially fell into a sinkhole. We are thankful to report nobody was hurt and the truck experienced no mechanical damage. We are extremely grateful that this did not affect any members of the public. This sinkhole was created by a corroded stormwater pipe which channels water from the adjacent catch basin into our system. The image was striking though this was not due to road conditions as some have understandably inferred, but to subsurface conditions along our aging underground infrastructure. The 2016 Sustainable Infrastructure Plan addresses an approach to inspecting and beginning to correct our aging storm and wastewater system, which includes 3,255 catch basins, 53 miles of separate storm pipes and 46 miles of combined storm/sewer. In 2018, we increased our investment in this system by 20% over 2017. We are continuing to identify appropriate funding models to address more of the repair needs of this system.

For more information on all of our infrastructure projects, please visit our Construction Portal at burlingtonvt.gov/construction; for information on the projects in our Lower Downtown, please visit burlingtonvt.gov/dpw/reinvestment/lower-downtown; and to report non-urgent maintenance issues please submit them at seeclickfix.com or call customer service at 863-9094. If you would like to discuss these projects or any concerns, please contact DPW Public Information Manager, Rob Goulding, at RGoulding@burlingtonvt.gov or 863-9094.

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Press Release Date: 
05/03/2018
City Department: 
Public Works Department