LVRT Mile Point 32.75, Hardwick Bridge. Photos courtesy of the Vermont Agency of Transportation
Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Transportation (AOT) announced today that it has reopened two lengthy segments of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) after completing damage assessment and some repairs from the recent flooding.
The 30.3-mile section from Swanton to Cambridge Junction and the 19.5 miles from St. Johnsbury to Walden at the intersection of the trail and Vermont Route 15 are now open for public use. AOT’s District Maintenance crews repaired minor washouts, completed surface repairs, and removed debris from these segments of the LVRT in order to reopen them to the public.
MP 40, Wolcott bridge.
“This reopening required extensive collaboration among our Rail Trail program staff, our UAS program, and Maintenance teams,” said Rail Director Dan Delabruere. “We are very pleased to be reopening more than half of the LVRT.”
The LVRT runs from St. Johnsbury to Swanton and is approximately 93 miles long; the reopened sections total 49.8 miles.
The entire trail was assessed for damage from the recent storm events and flooding. The most significant damage was through the central part of the state, leaving the eastern and western ends of the LVRT with only minor damage.
MP 30.28 Hardwick Culvert.
The remaining 43.2 miles of the LVRT between Cambridge and Walden remain closed until further notice due to many different types of damage including complete bridge washouts, complete culvert washouts, and severe slope failures that are blocking the trail or have washed out the trail altogether.
A total of 103 sites remain damaged and closed. The Agency has hired contractors for 57 of the sites and is working to get the remaining work under contract for repairs soon.
Among the damaged and closed sites, 16 require civil engineering planning and will be long-term projects with repairs that are not likely to be completed until sometime in 2024. The specific timelines will be dependent on materials, contractor availability, and permitting required to complete the projects. 
The Morrisville section is expected to reopen this fall.
AOT anticipates reopening additional sections of the trail during the next several weeks and months and into next year. The next area of focus will be the 15-mile segment from Cambridge Junction to Morrisville, with an expected reopening later this month.
The remaining closed segments of the trail are fully closed to all trail users and must not be accessed by the public. Although some closed areas may appear passable, the surface and embankments are compromised and could present unseen hazards.
Trail Updates are posted on the Vermont Rail Trail System website at https://railtrails.vermont.gov/trail-updates/.
Source: Vermont Agency of Transportation, Barre, VT vtrans.vermont.gov
