Vermont Business Magazine After round-the-clock monitoring of an emergent situation on Interstate 89 in Georgia, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) will close the northbound right lane between exits 18 and 19 today at approximately 6:00 p.m., after the evening rush-hour commute.
A 600-foot-long concrete culvert that runs under I-89 at milemarker 106.69 is failing after damage that occurred during the Halloween 2019 rainstorm. VTrans crews have been monitoring the culvert since then. Yesterday they discovered a hole that is 10 feet deep, located about 16 feet below the surface. VTrans continued to monitor and assess the situation throughout the night.
Today, two more holes, or voids, were also found of similar size and location, leading to the decision to close the right northbound lane this evening after rush hour.
“Safety is always our top priority,” said Chief Engineer Wayne Symonds. “The decision to close a lane of the interstate is taken very seriously and made with input from our top engineers in our Highway Division.”
The Agency has had preliminary discussions with contractor S.D. Ireland about the culvert project, and the contractor will assist with securing the area when the lane is closed. VTrans will continue to monitor the culvert and roadway throughout the weekend, and update the media as the situation develops.
Source: VTrans. 1.24.2020