What’s going on with the Winooski roundabout construction?

Credit: Winkimedia Commons

Since the beginning of the summer, the main street roundabout at night has been in a flurry of activity. Lights line the streets and construction workers drill and pave along the road, and police vehicles parked on the curb silently watch motorists and workers alike.

The $1.3 million construction project seen on the roundabout is on schedule to be complete in early October, according to Matthew Bogaczyk, the pavement design project manager for Vermont Agency of Transportation. The project, named the Class 1 paving program, is expected to have lane closures nightly until the project is complete.

The goal of the project is not only to do maintenance on the road’s surface, but to also ensure that it’s generally smoother for drivers and bikers. The roundabout will be smoother but all the lanes will remain the same.

The roundabout work is part of the Transportation Agency work to maintain Vermont’s town highway system, but it is not related to the earlier announced Main Street revitalization project in Winooski.

The Main Street revitalization project is still expected to start next spring, in 2022. According to Jonathan Rauscher, the Public Works Director and Co-Interim City Manager for Winooski, the Main Street revitalization project won’t change or update the roundabout.

While the Main Street project doesn’t have a contractor hired yet, the city is still planning the project and has asked for people who live and work on Main Street to give the city their contact information online here or to call them at (802)734-0022.

Next spring’s main street project will see some service changes, with water and sewer services planning some interruptions through the course of the update.

The Main Street project includes many changes outside of just maintenance, with the current design featuring enhanced crosswalks, rain gardens and trees dotting the sides of the road providing shade to the on street parking spots.