Williston
ECRWSS PRSRT STD US Postage
PAID
Permit #15 Williston,VT 05495 POSTAL CUSTOMER PAGES 12-14
SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Preliminary work begins on Route 2A widening project
Mountain View-Industrial Avenue intersection to be reconfigured BY JASON STARR Observer staff New utility poles have sprouted alongside a stretch of Route 2A north of Industrial Avenue this summer, the first signs of a multi-faceted road improvement project expected to take two years to complete. The project will include widening Route 2A to accommodate a center turning lane and the reconfiguration of the well-traveled intersection with Industrial Avenue and Mountain View Road. The project is one of the so-called “circ alternatives” that the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) prioritized when it abandoned an idea to build a beltline around Burlington known as the circumferential highway more than a decade ago. The new utility poles are placed about 30 feet to the east of the existing poles to accommodate the wider road along a nearly 1 mile
Green Mountain Power personnel work on the relocation of powerlines alongside Route 2A near Industrial Avenue on Tuesday to make way for road widening and intersection improvements expected to begin in the spring. OBSERVER PHOTO BY JASON STARR
stretch from Meadow Run Road to River Cove Road. VTrans com-
pleted a similar widening project from River Cove north to the Es-
lay, with installation now required by November 2025. “It took a little time to get the grant money and get this in order,” Town Manager Erik Wells said, adding that the original source of the funds was a federal pandemic relief law passed in 2021. Burlington Beer Company owner Joe Lemnah attended the Tuesday meeting when the board approved the grant pass-through and extended timeline. “I want to thank the board, thank Erik and thank everyone involved with the Town of Williston that got this grant
approval to the finish line,” he said. A native of Essex, Lemnah founded the company in 2013 after working as a brewer for other companies and experimenting with home brew recipes. Burlington Beer’s space on Omega Drive, behind the Get Air trampoline park, was first just a production facility. It was later portioned off to create an on-site tasting room and retail area. Then, three years ago, the company moved the restaurant and retail portion of the business to Burlington’s Flynn Avenue, leaving the space in Williston to accommodate increased brewing capacity.
sex Junction town line in 2020. The utility poles serve Green Mountain Power, Consolidated Communications, Comcast, FirstLight Fiber and Lumen, according to VTrans project documents. VTrans released an “invitation for bids” in August seeking a contractor to complete the improvements by October 2026. Bids are due by this Friday. Road construction is expected to begin this upcoming spring, VTrans engineer Josh Hulett said. “The primary goal is to widen and reconstruct the roadway … to reduce traffic queuing and delays,” Hulett said. During construction, the road will be reduced to one lane “for extended periods of time,” the bid documents state. Electronic message signs will be placed along the route to “accurately reflect what motorists can expect to encounter through the project area.” “Construction activities will take place on weekdays during daytime hours, with no night work anticipated,” Hulett said. The centerpiece of the project is
the reconfiguration of the Industrial Avenue/Mountain View Road/Route 2A intersection. Plans include the addition of a second left-turn-only lane on Industrial Avenue eastbound and a left-turn-only lane on Mountain View Road westbound. There will also be a second northbound lane added to Route 2A through the intersection. Additionally, new traffic lights, signs and streetlights will be installed at the intersection. The widened stretch of Route 2A will accommodate new bike lanes, sidewalks and curbs. Drainage improvements, including two stormwater retention ponds, are also planned. Complementing the road project is a new sidewalk the Town of Williston is planning to install on Industrial Avenue that will make a pedestrian connection along the entirety of the avenue from Route 2 to Route 2A. “It’s a big segment to connect for our community,” Town Manager Erik Wells said, adding that the town has been awarded a $180,000 VTrans grant for the sidewalk construction.
Deadline extended for brewery’s wastewater system
Board agrees to pass through $850K grant to Burlington Beer Company
The Town of Williston on Tuesday accepted $850,000 from the State of Vermont and agreed to pass it on to the Burlington Beer Company so the brewery can install a pretreatment system for wastewater at its production facility on Omega Drive. Under an agreement the town and brewery entered into last summer, the system was supposed to be installed this year. The selectboard amended the agreement on Tuesday to reflect the de-
Throughout the company’s growth, it has been trying to get a handle on the effect its byproduct wastewater has been having on the Essex Junction Wastewater Facility. The grant-funded pretreatment system will be designed to separate out wastewater solids on site to be sent to a digester for conversion into energy. The resulting effluent sent to the Essex Junction Wastewater Facility is expected to be similar to typical residential wastewater, project engineers have said. — Jason Starr
Joe Lemnah
DAS FARMHAUS TAP & GRILL PRESENTS
FOOD - MUSIC - BEER
FREE ENTRY
9.20-9.21
FARMHOUSE BIERGARTEN FRI: 5PM-10PM SAT: NOON-10PM
FARMHOUSETG.COM