The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently announced the immediate availability of $1.2 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief (ER) funds for emergency repair work to restore Bridge 129 on Vermont Route 14 in Irasburg, which was destroyed by a tanker truck fire in early December.
“We know how important this bridge is to the people of Vermont,” said Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Transportation Secretary, in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration is making these federal emergency funds available to help restore travel on this critical route as quickly and safely as possible.”
“Vermont residents and businesses are experiencing disruptions to their daily lives that often result in additional cost and delay,” said Shailen Bhatt, Federal Highway Administrator. “It’s imperative that we get this bridge back up and running again and open Vermont Route 14 as quickly and safely as possible.”
On December 4, 2023, a tanker truck crashed into Bridge 129 on Vermont Route 14 in Irasburg, Vermont. The truck collided with the structure and then caught fire below, resulting in the total destruction of the bridge. The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has evaluated the bridge and determined it has extensive damage and must be replaced.
The “quick release” Emergency Relief funding announced today will be used immediately for the construction of a new bridge. VTrans is working to get this work done as quickly as possible to re-open Vermont Route 14 to traffic, as it is an important north-south route to the area. Currently, traffic between Irasburg, VT and Coventry, VT is being detoured using VT 58 and US 5, which adds about four miles to the commute between the towns.
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Source: U.S. Department of Transportation
