Agency of Transportation to Reopen Another Large Segment of the Trail This Saturday. AOT photo is of Morrisville section.
Vermont Business Magazine The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) was announced today as a finalist to compete for two America’s Transportation Awards given annually by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
The LVRT will compete against 11 other transportation projects from around the country for the two top honors: the Grand Prize (determined by a panel of judges) and the People’s Choice Award (chosen by the public through online voting).
The Vermont Agency of Transportation maintains the LVRT and submitted the project for a 2023 award. The 93-mile multi-use, all-season trail is the longest rail trail in New England and stretches across northern Vermont from Swanton to St. Johnsbury. With a smooth gravel surface on relatively flat terrain, the LVRT rolls through quintessential Vermont villages and towns, along the Lamoille River, and past fields, forests, and a variety of rural Green Mountain State scenery.
“In Vermont, we know that the LVRT is a gem, and now this is our chance to showcase the rail trail to the rest of the country,” said Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn.
The LVRT sustained serious damage during the July flooding, and the middle segment remains closed as crews actively work to rebuild the trail.
AOT will reopen an additional 23.2 miles of that middle section this Saturday at 7 a.m. At that time, the LVRT will be fully open from Swanton to Wolcott and from Walden to St. Johnsbury. About 73 miles of the 93 LVRT will now be open.
The 21.1 miles from Wolcott to Walden will remain closed to the public, and active construction will continue.
AASHTO received 81 nominations from 36 state DOTs for America’s Transportation Awards. The 12 finalists were the top-scoring projects in regional contests and now vie for the Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award. Both national prizes come with a $10,000 cash award for a charity or transportation-related scholarship of the winners’ choosing.
Sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the America’s Transportation Awards contest serves as a catalyst to honor state DOTs and the positive effects of their projects for communities across the country. These projects are sorted into three categories – Quality of Life/Community Development, Operations Excellence, and Best Use of Technology & Innovation – further emphasizing the diverse ways that transportation infrastructure generates economic growth and improves quality of life.
The People’s Choice Award guidelines permit each person to vote once per day per project. AOT encourages all LVRT users and supporters to vote as often as possible to help Vermont win this national honor.
To view the LVRT entry page and vote for it, go to https://americastransportationawards.org/vermont-agency-of-transportations-lamoille-valley-rail-trail/.
For more information on the LVRT, go to https://railtrails.vermont.gov/.
Source: 9.13.2023. Barre, Vt. – vtrans.vermont.gov
