WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Safety Concerns Close Crown Point Bridge

Safety Concerns Close Crown Point Bridge

Chimney Point, Vermont - October 16, 2009

Traveling between northwestern Vermont and northern New York has just gotten a little tricky. After months of temporary repairs the Crown Point Bridge failed a safety inspection Friday and officials closed it indefinitely.

The closing came as a major surprise to drivers and local officials. Earlier this year, the bridge was reduced to one lane as crews worked on structural repairs. And just last week transportation officials said they expected to wrap up that work and reopen the bridge in just a few weeks. But Friday a big roadblock went up in front of that plan.

A warning sign on Route 22A alerts drivers with some unwanted news: The Crown Point Bridge connecting Vermont to New York is closed indefinitely due to safety concerns.

"It is going to be a hardship for a lot of people, a lot of people," George Clarke said.

The bridge officially closed at 1:30 p.m. Friday. State Police set up a barricade blocking the bridge and suggesting alternate routes to drivers. Clarke was one of those drivers. He had just left his job at BF Goodrich in Vergennes and was on his way home to Mineville, N.Y.

"Your gas bill is going to triple in price," he said, "and on top of that you have another 18, 20 dollars a day for the ferry. Forty minutes, 30 hours, one-way," he said.

Clarke is just one of the 3,000 drivers who use the 2,200 foot bridge across Lake Champlain.

Robert Smith runs the Chimney Point Farm just a mile up Route 17. Some of his farm land is on the New York side of the lake.

"We have about 100 acres of corn over there in New York and 80 acres of soy bean was going to harvest Saturday morning. And now we can't go across the bridge," Smith said.

While Friday drivers had to find alternate routes to get around the detour-- others wonder if they can continue to afford the trip across the lake.

"You are talking three hours one way now. And the gas prices are going to double. What are we going to do? People are having problems now just making ends meet," Smith said.

There are no easy alternatives to the bridge-- especially for people live and work just on either side.

The closest option is the Ticonderoga Ferry just a few miles to the south of the bridge. That ferry costs $8. It was scheduled to close at the end of October but will now remain open until the bridge reopens.

There's also the LCT ferry from Charlotte to Essex-- they're offering extra trips, but that will add about 50 miles to your travels.

A third option is to go by land around the southern tip of the lake through Fair Haven and Whitehall.

So for now, some real inconveniences and it could be many months before the bridge is back open to traffic.

Matt Henson - WCAX News

Click here to view the Lake Champlain Bridge Closure Official Detour Route map from transportation officials.

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Future of Crown Point Bridge Unclear