Smoother sailing: Route 4 paving ahead of schedule

Traffic on Route 4 in Woodstock Village in late May. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

There’s more work to be done along Route 4 in Woodstock Village, but it’s smoother sailing than it used to be. In fact, the state’s paving project is going so well that the second layer of pavement might be done this month — about two months ahead of time — provided the weather cooperates, local officials say.

In a Thursday interview, Woodstock Village Trustees Chair Jeff Kahn couldn't confirm when the whole project would end, but he said this progress means the noisiest parts of the project would be done well ahead of schedule. The second layer of paving was originally scheduled for August, with the entire project to be completed in September. This month, some of the paving may be done at night, which was a helpful way to get the first round of paving done more quickly, Kahn noted.

"They'll be re-striping the roads after the paving is done," he said.

Speaking of re-striping, the Village Trustees and Municipal Manager William Kerbin have a request in to the state to reapply the yellow lines at the western end of the Rec Center bridge and at the hairpin turn by Maplefields. Earlier in the year, the village had expressed its concern about those two locations because oversized trucks often go over the curb while making those turns. That's more of a concern now, since the Route 4 oversized truck permit the state had allowed for years in Hartford, Woodstock and Bridgewater is going away as of July 2022, after opposition to it in the Senate was successful.

During the paving project, however, the Agency of Transportation opted to remove the yellow line at those two Woodstock Village locations, Kahn said. He worried that large trucks would go even farther into the opposing lane at those sharp turns without the yellow line there. There was no word Thursday on the village's request.

"Hopefully the AOT will comply, but we'll find out," Kahn said.

After the paving, crews will complete re-striping and also re-create the parking spaces throughout the village.

The project is currently ongoing from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weather permitting. This week, some parts of Route 4 in the village have seen one-way traffic, as have the village portions of Routes 12 and 106, which are also part of the project.

— Gareth Henderson

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.

Route 4 paving project coming soon

Woodstock Village on a spring-like Wednesday afternoon. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The state process is moving ahead for the extensive Route 4 paving project in Woodstock Village this year — a project that could start as soon as next month.

This was one of the key topics covered at the Village Meeting discussion online Tuesday night. Being held on Zoom due to the pandemic, there were no amendments allowed nor votes taken at the informational meeting. All voting this year is by Australian Ballot, including on such items as the village budget and elected officers. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 16 at town hall. 

As for the Route 4 paving, bids for the project opened on March 5. The exact start date will be determined by the contractor, according to Village Trustee Daphne Lowe. The trustees have urged the state to begin the work no later than May 1, and hopefully in April. The project must conclude by Sept. 24, unless there are weather-related delays. The village portions of Route 12 and Route 106 are also part of the project. 

“The worst part of the project, as far as disruption, will be the grinding, about the first four weeks or so,” said Village Trustees Chair Jeff Kahn. 

Kahn said part of the contract allows for some night work, but they won’t go late into the evening and won’t begin early in the morning. They don’t plan to work on weekends. Lowe said there will be one-lane traffic through the village at times, and some issues with parking. 

“I think they’re going to be as considerate as they can” throughout the process, Lowe said. 

Another big topic for the year has to do with the trucks that use Route 4. Kahn said there’s an effort by some lawmakers to repeal the free overlength truck permits the state has allowed for years, for overlength trucks traveling on Route 4 from Hartford, through Woodstock, and to the Route 100 intersection in Bridgewater. The free permits have kept the number of oversized trucks down in the village, and the village enforces them. If the repeal is successful, Kahn said, it’s estimated Woodstock would see an additional 15,000 53-foot trucks coming through its downtown.

Kahn, Highway Superintendent Ken Vandenburgh and Police Chief Robbie Blish recently met with the Senate Transportation Committee. Kahn said there was a feeling of “jealousy or resentment” toward Woodstock regarding the permits. 

“They don’t see why we should have that special treatment when other towns don’t have that,” he said. 

Kahn disagreed with that sentiment and said reducing the amount of overlength trucks is important for safety in the village and also to sustain the road’s infrastructure over time. He said this matter is not being taken up in the House, but could still make it into Senate legislation. He said Sen. Alison Clarkson, of Woodstock, came up with a compromise if the repeal looks likely. It has to do with two locations involving safety concerns: the hairpin turn at the corner by Maplefields, and the sharp turn at the western end of the Rec Center Bridge.

“The amendment that Sen. Clarkson prepared would at least say that those two corners should be re-engineered and fixed before that permit is repealed,” Kahn said.  

He added, “Hopefully they won’t repeal it, but it doesn’t look good.” 

A question was raised about reducing the current 25 mph speed limit or adding speed bumps if the repeal goes through. However, Blish said those would both be up to the state. By law, police can’t enforce a speed limit under 25 mph, he added. 

As for the main items on the village ballot, voters are considering a village budget of $1,345,829, which includes $578,655 to be raised by taxes. That involves a slight increase over last year. Pointing out changes, Municipal Manager William Kerbin noted the municipal office is spending $9,250 to fix its 15-year-old phone system.

Also on the ballot are three trustees running unopposed for reelection. Kahn is running for a three-year term, William Corson for a two-year seat and Brenda Blakeman for a one-year term. Blakeman and Corson were each appointed to the board last year; Kahn has served multiple terms as a village trustee.

— Gareth Henderson