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Route 7 Culvert Projects Moved up to This Year
Posted: March 19, 2025
SUNDERLAND - A project to replace two culverts on Route 7 in Sunderland, which earlier had been planned for 2030, has been moved up to
later this year, with the affected part of the highway closed for about two weeks.
"The construction contract is expected to be advertised in spring 2026 and awarded in summer 2026, with construction taking place from summer through fall 2026," according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans).
"A 14-day closure of U.S. 7 is proposed to safely complete major work, with a signed detour in place using VT 7A and VT 313 in Shaftsbury and Arlington. During the closure, super loads will be detoured to continue north on VT 7A through Manchester or use U.S. Route 4 in New York. The closure could occur any time between mid August and mid October 2026," the agency stated in a post Monday on its Facebook page.
A letter to the town last November from a consultant working on the project said that while plans for the work had completed, budget shortfalls had changed the expected construction date to 2030.
However, earlier this year, VTrans received word that they would received additional funding for projects in fiscal 2027. The agency identified the culvert replacement as one of them, and because the money has to be spent in fiscal 2027, the projects are moving forward into construction this year, according to a spokesperson for the agency, contacted on Tuesday.
The State of Vermont's fiscal year (FY) runs from July 1 to June 30.
ROUTE 7A TRAFFIC CONCERNS
While the replacement of the culverts is not at all controversial, the closure of Route 7, with the resulting diversion of traffic onto Route 7A has been, especially with Shaftsbury officials. Concerns center around safety on Route 7A will the increased volume of detoured traffic.
The Route 7A detour distance between exits 2 and 3 on Route 7 would be 12.9 miles, adding 3.3 miles to the Route 7 through-distance between the exits of 9.6 miles. The proposed detour runs about a mile through the northern Bennington stretch of 7A and the entire length of Route 7A in Shaftsbury.
According to VTrans, more details on the construction schedule and traffic management will be shared with the project stakeholder email list later this year. Community members are encouraged to stay informed by signing up for email updates at
VTrans Updates.
"The culvert replacements are essential for maintaining safe and reliable travel along this busy section of U.S. 7," the post states. "The project team will conduct a comprehensive public information process before and throughout construction, including weekly construction updates, supplemental traffic alerts, outreach to local communities and emergency services, and a hybrid public meeting this summer with the project team and contractor available to answer questions. At the public meeting, the project team will share additional details about the construction schedule and traffic control plan, including the closure period and detour route."
Originally, the culverts were going to be replaced in 2026. Then in April of 2025 this was moved to 2028. Similarly, the amount of time needed to completely close down Route 7 and divert traffic onto Route 7A also has changed. Now, the state is looking at a single 14-day closure to complete both projects. The original idea was to close the highway for two weeks for each culvert replacement.
The project, originally presented at a Sunderland Select Board meeting in October 2023, is to replace the existing culverts located at Sunderland Bridges #19-5 and #19-7 on U.S. 7 in Sunderland, approximately 1.1 miles and .5 miles south of the junction of U.S. 7 and Vermont Route 313. Due to the age and condition of the existing culverts, engineering studies have recommended a full replacement with precast concrete box culverts.
Bridge 19-5, with an existing 162-foot-long, 8-foot-wide corrugated galvanized metal plate pipe arch is in satisfactory condition; however, the invert is in poor condition. The invert has heavy corrosion present with large perforations throughout causing piping and voiding. The remaining structure invert has heavy pitting and rust scaling throughout. This bridge was constructed in 1978.
Bridge 19-7, a short way down the road, with an existing 120 foot long, 7-foot-wide corrugated galvanized metal plate pipe is in satisfactory condition; however, the invert is in fair condition. The structure has good structural form at this time; however there is heavy rust scaling, pitting and large perforations scattered along the barrel invert haunches throughout the structure. This bridge was constructed in 1979.
Compliments of:
The Bennington Banner
Posted/Author: Mark Rondeau
