The U.S. Department of Transportation is planning to provide $22.7 million to the Vermont Agency of Transportation to assist in replacing the Winooski River Bridge in Chittenden County, according to a Thursday statement from Vermont’s congressional delegation.
The bridge, which connects the cities of Burlington and Winooski, is more than 95 years old. Though it is not currently a danger to those who use it, state transportation officials said in a project outline that its maintenance needs and narrowness merit a rebuild.
The total cost of the bridge was estimated last year at $60 million to $80 million, and the project previously received a $24.8 million federal grant in 2022.
“The replacement of the Winooski River Bridge will boost northern Vermont’s critical infrastructure, improve safety and accessibility, and make Winooski more resilient to extreme weather,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., said in the release.
The new bridge is expected to feature improved drainage systems. The sidewalk area will also be widened for shared, safe use by pedestrians and bicycles, according to the Agency of Transportation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation allocated the latest federal money through a grant program funded by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
In Thursday’s statement, Vermont Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn called the new grant “crucial” for the project.
The delegation also nominated the project for an additional $8 million in congressionally directed spending during the federal fiscal year 2026, which begins Oct. 1.
Officials say that construction on the bridge should begin in 2027.
