(Host) Governor Peter Shumlin says the major east-west roads across flood ravaged sections of Vermont will soon reopen.
Shumlin says Route 9 in southern Vermont will reopen this weekend and Route 4 will be ready for traffic next weekend.
Transportation officials say the roads will be passable. But they will be dirt in some sections and they won’t have guardrails. So drivers need to be careful and expect delays.
Transportation Secretary Brian Searles says of the 166 state roads closed after remnants of Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont, only 34 are still closed. But he says some of the most difficult repair work lies ahead.
(Searles) "These closures don’t get any easier to resolve as they get less numerous. As a matter of fact, just the opposite is true. Over half of these closures now are bridges, and bridges take some time."
(Host) Searles says Route 107 between Bethel and Stockbridge had extensive damage and might not reopen until winter.
The state has also set up a phone number to call if you want to check on local road conditions or to report local damage. That number is 802-660-4071.