Construction ahead: Stowe Street Bridge closes today for 60 days
June 19, 2025 | By Lisa ScagliottiNote: This post was updated on June 20 with a new photo and comments from the Waterbury town manager.
Recent work to remove a sewer line on the Stowe Street bridge over the Thatcher Brook was just a prelude to the main construction event that begins at 7 a.m. today to replace the aging two-lane span, requiring the bridge to be closed for up to 60 days.
The Stowe Street bridge over the Thatcher Brook was closed starting Thursday, June 19, for 60 days for a bridge replacement project. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
The start date for work on what is a $4.34 million Vermont Agency of Transportation project was adjusted until today to wait for school to end in the Harwood Unified Union School District. Students had their final half-day in session on Wednesday. Project plans call for work on the new bridge to wrap up by November.
The project will have a significant impact on local traffic patterns as it will close off the top of Stowe Street as a route connecting traffic between Vermont Route 100 and downtown Waterbury. Motorists will need to use Rt. 100 and Main Street to circumvent the closure, entering Stowe Street from Main Street, Union Street or Railroad Street.
Stowe Street detour. Map courtesy of the Vt. Agency of Transportation (click to enlarge)
For pedestrians who may rely on using the bridge, the Town of Waterbury will be offering an on-demand shuttle service. To use the shuttle or to find out more details, contact Town Manager Tom Leitz at 802-244-4300 or tleitz@waterburyvt.com.
Bus stops and Park & Ride location. Map courtesy of the Vt. Agency of Transportation (click to enlarge)
Leitz on Thursday said he expects a handful of local residents will be in need of the service, which will involve connecting them with a taxi company, with the town picking up the tab.
"This is just to get around the bridge," he emphasized. "We're not taking you to Stowe or Burlington."
As of Thursday afternoon, Leitz said it was quiet. "I haven't received a call yet," he said.
Another impact is the recent closure of the Park and Ride lot on Lincoln Street, which is being used as a staging area for the bridge project. Motorists accustomed to using the lot may use the downtown parking lot at the State Office Complex at the intersection of Randall Street and Park Row (the former site of Stanley and Wasson Halls, now a vacant lot).
Rural Community Transit and Green Mountain Transit buses that used the Lincoln Street Park and Ride also have new stops. Green Mountain Transit is using the new temporary Park Row lot. Rural Community Transit has set up a new temporary stop in the Shaw’s parking lot on Rt. 100. (see map)
An additional major impact will come in mid-July when the project schedule calls for a temporary closure of Lincoln Street for up to 21 days, as the area will be used for staging and managing sections of the new structure being installed. Residents of Lincoln Street neighborhoods will have a detour using Perry Hill Road, Kneeland Flats and Guptil Road when their access to Stowe Street is closed.
Work on Thursday, June 12, began to move the sewer line from the Stowe Street bridge and install a temporary bypass line that will be in use for the project time period. Photo by Gordon Miller
Last week, work began at the bridge with project contractor J. Hutchins of Richmond taking on the task of removing a sewer line attached to the bridge and installing a temporary structure over the brook. A single lane remained open for traffic on the bridge. That early portion of the project resulted in the traffic signal light being deactivated as flaggers managed traffic at the Rt. 100 intersection with Blush Hill Road and Stowe Street, at times resulting in long backups. Project officials said such disruptions on Rt. 100 “should be rare” once the bridge is entirely closed.
A sewer line has been removed from the Stowe Street bridge and a new temporary line is installed upstream. The bridge will be closed for 60 days starting Thursday, June 19. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
Almost 100 years old
The town-owned concrete two-lane bridge will be demolished three years shy of its centennial anniversary. According to the Vermont Agency of Transportation, it was built in 1928.
A survey crew member does prep work ahead of the Stowe Street bridge replacement project starting Thursday, June 19. Photo by Gordon Miller
State engineers evaluated the condition of the bridge in 2021 and determined it to be in “fair” condition. The call was made to recommend a full replacement rather than rehabilitation, given the structure’s size and the extent of its deterioration.
The bridge now is 27 feet wide. The new design calls for a three-lane bridge, giving it a dedicated turning lane for Stowe Street traffic to turn right/north onto Rt. 100. The travel lanes will be a total of 32 feet across, with four-foot shoulders and a five-foot-wide, ADA-compliant sidewalk on the upstream side of the bridge.
The sewer line that’s been mounted to the side of the bridge also will be incorporated into the new bridge’s structure under the traveled portion of the bridge, according to the design plans.
Project officials explained at a local meeting in early May that the alignment of the bridge with Stowe Street and the adjacent Lincoln Street intersection also will be adjusted to improve sight for motorists on Lincoln Street entering Stowe Street.
The Agency of Transportation will issue weekly updates on the project, and more as needed. Anyone interested in receiving those updates by email can sign up for them using this online form. More information on the project is online from VTrans and in a slide presentation shared at the May 5 Waterbury Select Board meeting.
