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Champlain Bridge Will be Demolished

West Addison, Vermont - November 9, 2009

The Champlain Bridge is going to be demolished. Transportation officials say the span between Crown Point, New York and Addison, Vermont is so unsafe and unstable, their only option is to tear it down.

Owners say they've lost 2/3 of the business since the bridge closed last month. That's $4,500 in revenue every day. News that a temporary ferry, and eventually a new bridge will be put in the same place was the best they could have hoped for.

Those who depend on the Champlain Bridge have wondered for weeks what its fate would be. Monday, they got their answer.

The conclusion we've come to is the foundation is too unpredictable, and too likely for an unpredictable collapse. It's too dangerous to work around and too dangerous to repair," said Robert Dennison of the New York Transportation Department.

Instead, the bridge will be torn down. A new permanent bridge will be put in its place. Until then, a temporary ferry will take vehicles across the lake. New York transportation officials said they are exploring all three projects simultaneously, but could not estimate when the demolition or reconstruction would happen.

"This bridge is a large bridge, as you know and it's a sensitive bridge, so our demolition has to be engineered. We have to do this in a careful way so it comes down in a way that is responsible and minimizes the damage to the surroundings and the environment," said Dennison.

The project could cost $50 million, split evenly between New York and Vermont. The states are hoping for federal help, so the process can't be rushed.

"We have to do this right, because we're so dependent on federal dollars. That means we have to follow environmental processes and such. To take that number of federal dollars out of our budget for this bridge, which would do because it's a big priority, obviously puts a dent in so many other programs," said David Dill of the Vermont Transportation Department.

Engineers are already looking at underwater soil conditions to determine where best to build the ferry docks. Local business owners said they were relieved the new lake crossing would be the same place as the old one.

"I'm glad it's going to be back here. This corridor. That's what we were so hard fighting for, if it's unsafe take it down and put a new one right back where it belongs," said Lisa Cloutier, the owner of the Bridge Restaurant.

"At this point a ferry would be a Godsend. Anything at this location is a Godsend. If they can get people across with their vehicles, farm vehicles, emergency vehicles, trucks, as long as they can get them across we'll be thankful for that," said Lorraine Franklin, owner of the West Addison General Store.

The temporary ferry should be in place in the next few weeks before the Ticonderoga ferry has to close for the winter. Owner of this store says once that happens they think their business will bounce back to normal.

No timeline was given for when a new bridge would be in place. The original plan wouldn't have had them begin construction until 2012, demolition won't even begin until next summer.

For now, travelers can still get free ferry crossings between Shoreham and Ticonderoga and between Charlotte and Essex.

Kate Duffy - WCAX News