Working on the new bridge

Here's what we saw at the bridge construction yesterday afternoon.  We were standing on route 125 just short of North Branch Road:

Close up on the work crew low down, just above the river:

Route 124 continues uphill above that yellow tractor.

The construction crew used an enormous crane to haul concrete and other materials:

Click on each image to get a bigger one.

Demolishing the Sand Hill bridge

Here's a video of how construction teams demolished the Sand Hill bridge:
(thanks to Dick Collitt!)

What's next with the Sand Hill bridge

What's ahead in the bridge construction project?
From VTrans:

ScheduleFriday (4/25): Precast concrete footings will be set into place.
Saturday (4/26) & Sunday (4/27):  Concrete preparation and pouring the sub footing for the precast concrete arch.
Monday (4/28) & Tuesday (4/29):  The precast breast walls and wing walls for the bridge will be set into place.
Thursday (5/1) & Friday (5/2): The precast arch panels will be mobilized to  the site and set into place. Immediately following the installation of the arch panels, the structural steel beams set into place.
Saturday (5/3) & Sunday (5/4):  Concrete NEXT beams will arrive on site and set into place.

(thanks to Sally Hoyler)

The bridge is now closed to traffic

Route 125 is now closed above the Sand Hill bridge:

The Upper Plains Road detour is directly to the left of this photo.

Sand Hill closure starts today

Work on the Sand Hill bridge started today, so make sure you know your detours and plan for extra travel time.

Here's what the preparations looked like, starting with the view from downhill:

Machines stand ready to dig and haul:

Detours for Sand Hill bridge closing

How can we get to and from our Ripton if that crucial bridge is out?

Here's the detour recommended by VTrans:

Perhaps you'd like to try a shorter route, along the two Plains roads:

I picked those two establishments for ease of making the map.

Drive safely, and let us know how it goes!

Sand Hill Bridge about to close

At long last the Sand Hill bridge will be closed for repairs.
Here's information from VTrans:

VT 125 - Bridge 13 over Middlebury River • Middlebury RS 0174(8) Construction Update: Week of April 14, 2014

ROUTE 125 CLOSURE: April 19th to June 2nd

The Middlebury Sand Hill Bridge will be closed beginning at 7am on Saturday April 19th and remain closed through June 2nd. Route 125 will be closed at North Branch Road on the west side of the bridge to Upper Plains Road on the east side of the bridge.

The detour route is shown on the Rochester/Middlebury/Warren Bridge Projects website:www.rmw.vtransprojects.vermont.gov.

Route 125

On the west side of the bridge, project related truck activity will be heavy for the first week of the closure.

North Branch Road

Traffic on North Branch Road will remain open for one lane of traffic for the duration of the project. Between Monday, April 21st and Thursday, April 24th, anticipate extended traffic delays to allow for the placement and assembly of the crane. Seek alternate routes if possible on these dates. Unlimited access will be provided to Emergency Services as needed.

Middlebury River

The portion of the Middlebury River through the project area will be closed for swimming, boating and other recreational purposes for the duration of the project.

Weekly Schedule of Construction Activity:

Monday (4/14) - Friday (4/18): There will be drilling of blast holes on the eastern side of the bridge. Expect noise during daytime working hours.

Saturday (4/19): Closure begins at 7am. Excavation and blasting activities will take place throughout the day. Expect heavy noise mid-morning during the blasting period.

Saturday (4/19) through Thursday (4/24): Excavation of ledge and bridge removal. Anticipate heavy truck traffic on the western side of the bridge.

Wednesday (4/23): The crane will be moved to the site on multiple trucks and assembled. Anticipate significant delays (up to 1 hour) on North Branch Road during the assembly period.

Thursday (4/24): Excavation is expected to be completed by the end of the day, heavy truck traffic will cease at this point.

Friday (4/25): Concrete preparation and pouring of sub footings for the bridge abutments.

Monday (4/28): Precast bridge elements to arrive onsite and bridge assembly will commence.

Future construction updates will be provided on the website www.rmw.vtransprojects.vermont.gov, Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/VTrans/143848835653728), Twitter (https://twitter.com/511VT) and by email. Register on the website to receive email updates. Telephone Hotline: (802) 496-3376.

The construction schedule is subject to change due to significant weather events, unexpected site conditions and other unanticipated delays.

Many thanks to Sally Hoyler for sharing this information.

What do you think of shopping in Middlebury?

Here's a chance to offer your thoughts about shopping in Middlebury town.  The town is running a survey of consumer attitudes, and would like to hear what Riptonites think.

Click here to start the survey.

(thanks to David Disque)

Open house at the Ripton school

Coming up next week are two open house events at the Ripton school.
From the principal's weekly letter:

This Monday the 14th we will be having our New Student Open House at 6:30 pm.  Please tell everyone you know who might be considering enrolling their child(ren) at Ripton Elementary next year about this event...

Tuesday morning, the 15th, from 8:30-10:00 am we will have our Open Classroom for students entering preK through sixth grade and their parents.