Here’s the latest from the Vermont Agency of Transportation:
The Vermont Agency of Transportation has been working throughout the night and continues today to assess road conditions along state infrastructure resulting from Hurricane Irene.
VTrans priority is to establish safe passage for travelers and is closing roads, when needed, and establishing safe detours. VTrans urges members of the public to exercise extreme caution in navigating the State highway system. If travel is not necessary, Vermonters are asked to stay home so emergency responders and road crews can conduct damage assessments to the State’s infrastructure.
There are state highway closures throughout the state, some state highway bridges are completely washed out, while others may be compromised. It will be several days before State officials can inspect all of the State bridges impacted by the extreme flooding caused by hurricane Irene.
Roads may be undermined by the flooding and slope failures may still be occurring. State officials are assessing which communities may be cut off and what infrastructure needs to be repaired first in order that power crews may gain access to down power lines and transformers.
While the Vermont Agency of Transportation knows about the closures to the state highway system, town road closures are reported to Vermont Emergency Management. The final number and location of all town roads and bridges that are closed or impassable is still unknown at this time. The public is urged not to cross roadways with standing water.
VTrans Operations crews have been deployed since the beginning of the weather event working through the evening and are still on the job making repairs to the state system. VTrans is deploying bridge inspection teams including teams from out of state and FEMA to inspect Vermont’s bridges. It will be several days before all bridges, state and town can be inspected.
To receive the latest information on State road and bridge closures, the public can access the State 511 system at http://www.511vt.com/.
Road Closures: (LAST UPDATED 8/30/11)
District One
Route 7 south of Manchester
US 7 between Arlington and Manchester is opened now to two-way traffic
VT 7A in Arlington is open
Route 7 in Brandon and Rutland still has closed areas, but traffic (excluding tractor trailers) can detour around the closed areas.
Route 100/9 in Readsboro
Route 100 north of Wilmington
Route 9 in Wilmington
Route 30 at Route 133 in Pawlet
District Two
Route 30 at Newfane, Jamaica – bridges out
Route 9 west of Brattleboro in area of Shell Station & Cumberland Farms.
I-91 SB between Exits 5 and 6
Route 5 in Rockingham – bridge 39 undermining
Route 103 Chester at the new bridge 1 mile south of Route 11
Route 131 in Cavendish near Chub Hill
Route 11 in spots – Chester – Andover and Windham.
Route 100 Jamaica near Route 30 Intersection
Route 100 in Weston
Route 103 in Chester
Route 100 in Wardsboro
District 3
Closed, Rte 73 from Rte 30 to 73 in Goshen (open from Brandon to Blueberry hill. One lane only for local traffic).
Closed, Rte 30 Beebe lake to Pencil Mill road Castleton
Closed, Route 7 in Brandon is closed; there is a detour for small vehicles only on town roads.
Closed, Route 73 from Route 53 to Rochester.
Closed, Route 100A
Closed, Route 100 Tyson to US Rte 4
Closed, Route 103 South of Ludlow (to be open within the hour)
Closed, Route 100N to 107
Closed, Route 4 from Mendon to West Bridgewater.
Closed, Route 3 in Proctor
Route 7 is open except where the bridge is out by formula ford.
Route 140 in the East Wallingford area is open
7B is closed on the Wallingford end and into Clarendon
155 Closed from E Wallingford to Belmont
District 4
Route 4 in West Woodstock
Route 100 Granville Gulf
Route 107 between Bethel and Route 100
Route 12 between Route 4 and 107
Route 12A in West Braintree
Route 12 between Bethel and Randolph is open
District 5
Route 116 between Route 125 and 17
Route 125 between Route 116 and Route 100
Route 17 between Route 116 and Huntington Road
Route 17 in the Starksboro area is open (tractor trailers are not recommended).
I-89 in Colchester
Route 2 Jonesville
District 6
Route 100 South of Waitsfield OPEN TO LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY
Route 100B
Route 12 Berlin to Riverton
Route 12 Worcester
Route 14 in Woodbury
District 7
Route 5 north of St. Johnsbury
Route 302 in Groton
Route 5 in Lyndonville
Route 122 previously closed now open
Route 5A at Route 5 in West Burke
Rout 302 in Groton (open for one lane only)
District 8
Route 118 previously closed now open
Route 105 between Enosburg and Berkshire
Route 242 west of Jay Peak
District 9
Route 242 east of Jay Peak
Route 16 between I-91 and Barton
Route 105 between 114 and Lakeshore Drive near Island Pond