Downtown Montpelier is about to be disrupted by a major construction project on State Street starting St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
The project, expected to last through June, will extend from the intersection of State and Main streets to the Rialto Bridge. Its goal is to separate stormwater coming from East State Street out of the sanitary sewer system, which contributes to combined sewer overflows during heavy rain, according to Justin LaPerle, an engineer with the Montpelier Department of Public Works. Since no existing stormwater outfalls are large enough to handle runoff from East State Street, the project will create a new outlet, LaPerle said in an interview with The Bridge.
Much to the chagrin of the many business owners along the street, State Street will only be open to westbound traffic (heading toward the Statehouse) between Main and Elm streets for several months. Because of the fluid nature of construction projects, the city does not want to put a specific date on the return of two-way traffic.
Business owners on State Street understand the project is necessary, but they are nevertheless concerned about the potential for economic disruption. Asked about community input into the project, Lauren Parker, owner of North Branch Cafe at 41 State Street said, “As a matter of fact, there’s a little bit of upset that you might get from some people.”
The project, Parker said, was first announced to the city’s business community at a Montpelier Business Association (MBA) meeting in December, which she said, “Nobody could go to because it’s our busiest time. So … not very many people were able to attend.” Parker went on to say that DPW did come to the next regularly scheduled MBA meeting on the first Wednesday of January.
“It was a little shocking,” Parker said of the project’s announcement. “It’s the first that any of us had heard of it.”
“This project was identified in the city’s Long Term Control Plan (published in 2019), which outlines projects needed for combined sewage overflow reduction,” LaPerle told The Bridge. He added that for the past several months, updates on the design, bid, and award process have been shared in the DPW weekly newsletter and that DPW staff met with business owners shortly after the construction bids were in. Moreover, he said, details around car and pedestrian traffic could not be shared until the contractor was chosen. He also said that increased workloads around the 2023 flood caused the project to be delayed for a year.
The project has already been pushed back two weeks by the contractor, Hebert Excavation, to allow for building inspections of structures potentially impacted by the construction, according to a Feb. 24 email from the Department of Public Works. The inspections, which will be coordinated by city staff members but performed by Vermont Testing, might begin as early as March 3, although the city anticipates the majority will occur the week of March 10.
As the project begins, crews will be on site to install fencing, erect signage, and begin saw-cutting the pavement. This will ultimately result in a large pit, running parallel to traffic flow, approximately 50-feet long, 28-feet wide, and 16-feet deep, according to LePerle.
Based on information from contractors as of Feb. 28, LaPerle said the affected section of State Street will be closed entirely to vehicle traffic from April 7 to April 11, the only complete vehicular closure between Main and Elm streets scheduled for the project, he said.
Excavation and coring behind the Rialto Bridge abutment will begin the week of March 24, followed by sheet pile installation around the perimeter of the pit beginning March 31 and through the week of April 7, said LaPerle, starting first on the southern side near Positive Pie and proceeding counterclockwise to the northern side of State Street near Capitol Grounds. From inside of the pit, piping will then be pushed toward the intersection of State and Main streets. A trench will also be excavated from the pit to the Rialto Bridge.
Sidewalk access will remain open for the duration of the construction project, except for temporary closures when sheet piles are lifted into the air. “This is for everyone’s safety,” said LaPerle.
Parker acknowledged that the city faced its own logistical constraints, which affected communication with the public. “To be fair,” she said, “they’re working hard on this … they didn’t know until they were able to work this out with the contractors. The whole thing was out for bid. They didn’t know if this would be this year or next year. Until they knew what the story was going to be, they couldn’t really tell us.”
Parker said that it has been frustrating to many, but “we know it needs to be done.” However, with more advanced notice businesses could have adjusted their spring inventory purchasing schedules, she said. Parker also noted that if the city had announced the project before securing the necessary bids, and the project had fallen through, retailers might be in the position of having ordered too little inventory.
Parker said she is working with others in the State Street business community to secure free parking for the duration of the project, although she was not yet prepared to announce any specifics but expects to make that announcement soon.
Is North Branch Cafe anticipating a hit to its business? “Absolutely” Parker said, “Terrified of it, actually.”
“It’s going to be quite the project. We’re already having a hard-enough time as it is rebounding from the flood and people not wanting to come downtown,” said Jenny Sebold, owner of the shops Wylding and Rebel Heart, at 32 and 40 State Street. While noting that DPW and everyone else is doing their best, Sebold expressed frustration with the communication surrounding the project. “We’re not working together and communicating,” she said.
Sebold noted that her floral business — through phone and online orders, weddings, and deliveries — has a cushion against a potential drop to walk-in traffic. “That has me hopeful that we won’t get completely shellacked,” she said. “But I’m worried,” she added, choking up.
Shannon Bates, owner of Enna, a cafe and gelato shop at 14 State Street sporting a sign that says “Thanks DPW,” said she wasn’t sure how the project will affect her business. She did note that most of Enna’s customers walk from nearby offices.
Bates said many of her gelato customers are children, and they will likely be intrigued by the construction project. Enna is having a gelato cart made, and if her business is negatively impacted by the construction, she said she can sell gelato elsewhere via the cart.
The cafe will be fine as long as the project is completed on schedule in June, she said. If it were to continue past that time and into July and August, she added, it could cause problems.
“We don’t know for sure how the project is going to affect our business,” said Bates. “I do believe the whole community and the city will support us if it does. That has been proven.”
LaPerle suggested those interested in project details scroll to the “Notify Me” section on the city website (montpelier-vt.org/list.aspx). There, visitors can choose to receive emails from DPW, which will include updates on the construction project.
Parker, of North Branch Cafe, encouraged customers to keep an eye on businesses’ social media and Montpelier Alive for updates on all aspects of the project and what businesses are doing to work around the disruption, whether it be changes to hours of operation or alternatives to parking on State Street.
“The biggest goal for me,” Parker said, “is, people, come into town — Still shop, still eat, still be here … do your business here. Come in. We’ll find a place for you to park. We’ll make it as easy as we can.”
