Vermont Route 289

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Vermont Route 289

Length:

4.08 mi^[1] (6.57 km)

Formed:

November 1993

West end:

VT 2A in Essex

South end:

VT 117 in Essex

Counties:

Chittenden

Vermont Routes
< VT 279		US 302 >

Vermont Route 289, also known as the Chittenden County Circumferential Highway, is a partially completed two-lane freeway serving suburban communities north and east of Burlington, Vermont.

1 Route description
2 History
3 Future
- 3.1 Environmental concerns versus necessity
  - 3.1.1 Environmental Impact Statement
  - 3.1.2 Public Design Workshops
4 Exit list
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Route description

The only completed section of VT 289 was opened in November of 1993, and is a 4.08 mile long two-lane freeway located entirely within Essex.^[2] As an indication of the original highway's plans, mileage along the stretch begins at 7.77 and ends at 11.85.^[1] It is also the only road in Vermont to have mile-based interchanges.

Including the proposed sections west and south of the current alignment of VT 289, the route will be approximately 15.8 miles (25.4 km) in length. Its proposed western terminus is at Vermont Route 127 in Colchester and its proposed southern terminus is at Interstate 89 in Williston.

[edit] History

Various forms of a future highway in the area surfaced in town comprehensive plans as early as 1967. The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission had a circumferential highway outlined in its 1975 regional plan.^[3]

VT 289 was originally planned as Interstate 289 in 1982, when Congress allocated $50 million for the project.^[4] The interstate was to start at Vermont Route 127 in Colchester and travel southeast to Interstate 89 in Williston. One of the main concerns that this road was to allieviate was the traffic congestion plaguing an intersection in the center of Essex Junction, locally referred to as Five Corners.

In 1986, a final Environmental Impact Statement was released by the United States Department of Transportation and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTRANS). Potential consequences of building a highway that meets Interstate Highway standards in the area included noise impact on residential areas and disruption around archaeologically sensitive areas in the right-of-way. I-289 was effectively redesignated VT 289 when the legislature added the road to the list of state highways that same year.

In planning, the road was divided into ten alphabetical segments, A through J, ordered from south to north. Segments C, D, E, and F in Essex were completed and opened to traffic in November 1993.^[5]^[6]

[edit] Future

This section contains information about a planned or expected future road.
It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change as the road's construction or completion approaches and more information becomes available.

[edit] Environmental concerns versus necessity

[edit] Environmental Impact Statement

On November 19, 2004, the United States Department of Transportation filed a notice of intent to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on segments A and B of the proposed route: the section that lay between the proposed and current southern termini in Williston.^[7] This process has included meetings with the public to discuss the proposed project, as well assess alternatives. Some of the "short-list" include placing rotaries along 2A, or placing traffic lights along 289, when built.^[8] On August 3, 2007, a Draft EIS was made available to the public.^[9]

[edit] Public Design Workshops

In February 2006, three separate public forums were held, not only discussing alternatives from the short-list (see above), but also allowed for the public to voice concerns about present traffic situations.

Route 2A: In the past 10 years, Williston has experienced substantial development around the towns interchange with Interstate 89. Route 2A also serves as an artery for IBM workers coming from the south and east. As a result of increased traffic, the road was quickly altered (additional lanes, lights, etc.) to accommodate what was then seen as a temporary problem.

Five Corners: Public concerned with the "Five Corners" intersection voiced the fact that the intersection is the junction of 3 major state highways (VT 2A, VT 15, and VT 117), within a densely populated town center. While there was support for the construction of 289, other people suggested that construction of the highway would result in neglect of the local roads - the highway would be built as opposed to a bicycle/pedestrian bridge on 2A over the Winooski River.

Williston Section (Segments A and B): A final forum was held on February 9th, 2006 to discuss the actual proposed highway. Most comments at this forum were concerned with aesthetics, such as the implementation of noise barriers and future concerns, including speculation on further growth in the area and the potential for 289 to need expansion into a 4-lane highway.

[edit] Exit list

Exits are listed from west to east. Interchanges in a gray background are proposed.^[3] Mileage is reflective of the planned termini of VT 289. Exit 7 is 7.77 miles from the planned beginning of VT 289 at Vermont Route 127. Unlike other Vermont freeways whose exits are numbered sequentially, VTRANS implemented mileage-based exit numbering on VT 289 as part of an experimental program, which may or may not lead to an eventual conversion from sequential to mileage-based exit numbering in Vermont.^{[citation needed]}

County	Location	Mile^[1]^[5]	#	Destinations	Notes
Chittenden	Essex	0.00	1	VT 127 - Burlington	Proposed western terminus
		~3.8	3	I-89 - Montpelier, St. Albans
		~5.0	5	via Severance Road - Colchester
		7.77	7	VT 2A - Colchester, Essex Junction	Current western terminus
		9.50	9	VT 15 - Essex Junction
		9.99	10	Essex Way - Essex Junction
		11.07	11	Allen Martin Parkway - Essex Junction
		11.85	12	VT 117 - Essex Junction	Current southern terminus
			13	IBM Road
		~15.8	15	I-89 - Montpelier, St. Albans	Proposed southern terminus