Route 4 project to start Sunday in Woodstock

Part of Route 4 in the village of Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The state's Route 4 paving project in Woodstock Village will be starting up this weekend.

Beginning Sunday evening and most of the week, the contractor will start grinding pavement during nighttime hours from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. The full project involves Route 4 in the village limits and also the village portions of Route 12 and Route 106, and it is scheduled to be completed in September.

A state update about this coming week said "motorists should expect intermittent lane closures and alternate one-way traffic controlled by flaggers on VT Routes 4 and 106 in Woodstock as crews mill pavement during nighttime hours." Starting Sunday, milling in that area is expected to take five nights, the state said, and crews will begin at the east end of Route 4 in the village, working their way west.

The announcement also noted this night work will require light towers: "The contractor will make every effort to mitigate light impacts on residents and businesses along the route by placing the towers to face away from windows to the extent possible."

On Friday, Village Trustees Chair Jeff Kahn acknowledged the night work would be tough on people.

"On the other hand, it's going to be faster to get the work done that way," Kahn said, noting that crews won't have to deal with traffic and parked cars. This also means the project may have a chance to wrap up ahead of schedule, he added. "We are very pleased it's getting underway at the end of April."

It wasn't immediately clear how much night work would be involved in the project after the first week. More details weren't available from the state as of late afternoon Friday.

— Gareth Henderson

Editor’s Note: This post will be updated as more information becomes available.