Lake ChamplainBridge Project

Public Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting #11

Addison Firehouse

Addison, Vermont

March 22, 2011

The purpose of the Public Advisory Committee meeting was to summarize the progress and status of new bridge construction and toupdate the PAC on the status of both the commemoration plan for the 1929bridge and the restoration process that will take place after the bridge opens. Jim Boni, LCB Project Manager welcomed attendees and introduced the meeting’s moderator, Ruth Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc. (FHI) (part of the HNTB consulting team under contract to NYSDOT). Ruth outlined the agenda of the meeting which began with a presentation by NYSDOT Region 1 Construction Engineer John Grady. John made a detailed presentation on the construction process since the PAC last met in August 2010. This presentation was filled with photos that illustrated various aspects of the construction process. It also explained some of the issues the contractor had to deal with, such as harsh winter conditions and deep mud. He also explained that the project construction area falls within two different Army Corp of Engineer Districts and the contractor has to deal with different environmental regulations in Vermont and New York. John expressed thanks to local photographer Robin Knapp for providing excellent photos, many of which the agency has been able to use on its website and in presentations.

The PAC was informed by Jim Boni that site restoration will commence right after the bridge is opened. It will take about a year to complete the restoration work. Jim also updated the committee on the status of commemoration of the old bridge. A commemoration plan is almost final and preliminary work on the plan is already underway, with the goal of having some of the commemoration elements ready for opening day of the new bridge if at all possible. A copy of the meeting presentation is available at

PAC committee members asked many questions and offered comments (in italics) during the presentation as summarized below. Most of the questions were related to construction and responses were given by John Grady.

Bridge Construction

How much of the building of this bridge was prescribed by the engineer and how much was the contractor’s decision?

A lot was prescribed, but the approach for how to carry out the construction was left to the contractor. For example, the bridge designer provided NYSDOT specifications for concrete pours but the contractor had input as to how the pours would be done.

Is there anything different or innovative about how the bridge is being built?

Yes. As an example, the contractor decided to build higher forms for constructing the bridge piers as a way to keep the pour area warmer so that concrete curing time was not delayed.

Was lake ice a problem?

No. Constant motion of the contractor’s tugs and the continuous ferry trips kept the lake from freezing in the construction area. A bigger problem was wind and low temperatures. The cranes cannot operate safely when winds reach 20 mph and extreme cold reduced the effectiveness of laborers. Lots of heat, insulation and blankets were used in the work areas, but bitter cold and winds still impacted workers.

Will the contractor meet the goal of an October 2011 bridge opening?

October 9, 2011 is still our goal. NYSDOT is paying the contractor to accelerate to compensate for delays that were out of his control. Extra cranes, barges and support frames are now in place to accelerate the pace of construction.

When will the arch be set?

Late summer is our best estimate. Right now preparations to assemble the arch are being made at the Velez Marina in Port Henry. The arch will be manufactured in Pennsylvania and transported in pieces to NY. It will take 12-18 hours to lift the structure.

Why didn’t the wingwalls receive a stone style formliner treatment?

There was an agreement between the two states, endorsed by both State Historic Preservation Offices, that the bridge abutments and wingwalls should have a contemporary look, similar to that of the new bridge, so as not to detract from the natural stone of the adjacent historic resources.

Has the bridge been designed to withstand damage from an earthquake?

Yes. All bridges are designed for some level of seismic event, based on historical earthquake data for the structure’s location.

Construction and Design Process

This was a great presentation. I’ve been very impressed with the management of this job.

Is this bridge a “land speed record?”

Not sure, but it is certainly moving quickly. It usually takes 4-5 years to build a bridge of this size and complexity.

We’d like you to know how appreciative people are of this new bridge.

Usually when projects are rushed, design suffers. This didn’t.

Lots of credit should go to the designer. Ted [Zoli] knows how to build things as well as design them.

Have the restoration plans been fully developed yet?

No. We have finalized the concepts, but plans have not yet been fully developed.

Is the restoration plan being developed so that it doesn’t interfere with the bi-state park plan?

We are in communication with Bill Johnston. FHWA will not fund features that aren’t considered restoration. However, we will be careful not to do anything that precludes an eventual bi-state park. For instance, restoration may include pathways under the bridge and/or in the area of the toll house (also elements of the proposed bi-state park plan).

Is there any provision in the restoration plan for parking for bicyclists (or other users) that come to the site?

No new parking areas are envisioned. There are numerous locations for bicyclists and motorists to park when arriving on site, such as the Crown Point Historic Site, the Visitor’s Center (old toll keeper’s house), the DEC Campground and the Chimney Point Historic Site. Parking only appears to be a major issue when there is an event at the site. We also plan to install bike racks at each end of the bridge.

Coming Up…

  • Plans for a community-sponsored Opening Day Celebration are progressing. A parade of boats and antique cars to transport people who attended the 1929 bridge opening is anticipated.
  • A construction update meeting for the public is scheduled for Thursday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m. at AddisonCentralSchool.
  • The PAC is expected to meet one more time, most likely close to the opening of the new bridge.

In attendance:

(PAC members and groups they represent)

Keith Scherer, (alternate for Sen. Little, NY)

Fred Buck, NY residents

Steve Torrey, Addison, VTSelect board

Eric Gilbertson (for Ann Cousins) VT – historic preservation

Steven Engelhart, NY – historic preservation

Bob Smith, Addison, VT – agriculture

Meg Wood, NY (alternate for Rep. Sayward)

Kimball Provencher, Addison, VTSelect board

Ivan Vamos, Bicycle/Pedestrian

Carole St. Pierre, NY residents

Irwin Clark, AddisonTown Historian

Kitty Oxholm, VT residents

NYSDOT/Consultant staff:

Jim Boni, NYSDOT

John Grady, NYSDOT

Ruth Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc.

Jill Barrett, Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc.

Guests:

Adam Lougee, Addison CountyRegional Planning Commission

Scott Newman, VAOT Historic Preservation Officer

Caitlin O’Shea, VAOT

Judy Bond

LorraineFranklin

Karen Hennessey

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