Construction Update
Exit 16 DDI
DATE: Friday, April 7, 2023
 
TRAFFIC IMPACT AND DURATION:

There will be no basting today, Friday, April 7, 2023. Blasting activities will resume on Monday, April 10.

Crews will be onsite Monday through Friday between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Traffic impacts will be restricted to the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Monday, April 10, and continuing through next week, crews will continue blasting activities behind the bridge piers on the west side of the interstate bridges over U.S. Route 2/7 (U.S. 2/7). This work will require the closure of the outermost southbound lane on U.S. 2/7 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. In addition, traffic will be temporarily impacted on U.S. 2/7 and Interstate 89 (I-89) as part of the blasting activities more specific information is provided below. These impacts will be restricted to the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

U.S. Route 2/7
Four minutes prior to each blasting event, Uniformed Traffic Officers (UTOs) and barricades will be placed at either end of the blasting zone on U.S. 2/7 and the I-89 offramps to prevent vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists from entering the blasting zone. The blasting zone is anticipated to be between South Park Drive and Mountain View Drive, however, this area will be refined based on the specific blasting location. Flaggers will be present at adjacent businesses and sideroads to prevent pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles from entering the area. Once the area is secured, the blasting event will take place. After each blasting event, a blasting specialist will clear the area before allowing users to reenter the blasting zone. The I-89 interstate offramps will be cleared before U.S. 2/7 traffic is released. Wait times are not anticipated to exceed 10 minutes.

Interstate 89
Four minutes prior to each blasting event, UTOs and SDI construction vehicles will initiate a rolling roadblock between Exit 14 and 17 along I-89 northbound and southbound. Rolling roadblocks slow traffic down to create a gap in traffic to allow the blasting event to take place safely. A pilot vehicle will follow the last vehicle impacted by the rolling roadblock to inform the team once the area in the blasting zone is secured. The rolling roadblock will continue until the hard stop location is reached. To learn more about rolling roadblocks, watch this video created by the Kansas Turnpike.

All users should expect delays and plan ahead. 
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES: 
Monday, April 10, and continuing through Friday, April 14, crews will continue removing ledge and other materials in the area behind the bridge piers on the west side of the interstate bridges over the U.S. 2/7 to facilitate the installation of the retaining wall. This work will require blasting. Blasting activities will occur up to two times each weekday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Please check the Exit 16 DDI project website or interactive map for daily updates on blasting locations, local impacts, and estimated blasting windows. For more information on blasting activities, click here.
Blasting activities will continue next week on the west side of U.S. 2/7 behind the I-89 bridge piers.
LOCATION: U.S. Routes 2/7 (U.S. 2/7) in Colchester starting at the Winooski town line and continuing north for 1.05 miles to Sunderland Woods Road.

PROJECTED COMPLETION: Contract 1 Spring 2024 / Contract 2 Summer 2026
Construction Public Meeting Materials
VTrans held a Construction Public Meeting for the Exit 16 DDI Project on Thursday, January 12, 2023. The meeting included a presentation comprised of an overview of the project, the construction schedule and sequence, the anticipated impacts, and information about future blasting activities. View the presentation and watch the recording of the public meeting!
Diverging Diamond Interchange Comes to Vermont Educational Video
This video provides an overview of the Exit 16 DDI project, discusses the benefits of the Diverging Diamond Interchange design, and demonstrates how drivers, cyclists and pedestrians will navigate the new traffic pattern coming to Colchester, VT.
Translated Materials
VTrans is committed to providing a comprehensive and robust communications and public outreach program as part of this project. 

The project website has been upgraded to include a translation feature with the ability to automatically translate website content into 11 languages. 

In addition, the website is now home to a translated materials tab which includes several frequently asked questions and answers that have been translated into 11 languages with help from trained interpreters and translators from AALV in Burlington, Vermont. 
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