The Region

The contractor has begun to advance structural steel across Pier 2 to the temporary shoring towers. This work will continue into next week. De-watering at Pier 1 site encountered several challenges last week and additional work has taken place to remediate the situation this week. The saturated conditions of the site and soil conditions have necessitated that the cofferdam be tighter in order to allow less water infiltration so the de-watering system will not be overwhelmed by the volume. The contractor has installed vertical forms at all four corners of the cofferdam and anticipates placing concrete today in order to achieve a better seal. The contractor will attempt de-watering again next week once the concrete has set up. Once a dry excavation can be maintained, the contractor will begin to install the 80 foot rebar cages in the 9 pier piles which may begin as early as next week. Footing formwork and re-bar installation may begin next week as well, overlapping with the pile operations.

The contractor has begun to advance structural steel across Pier 2 to the temporary shoring towers. This work will continue into next week. De-watering at Pier 1 site has begun. Once a dry excavation can be maintained, the contractor will begin to install the 80 foot rebar cages in the 9 pier piles. This could begin as early as tomorrow and be completed in time for a concrete placement for the piles as early as next week. The footing formwork and re-bar installation should begin next week as well. This operation can be conducted in tandem with the pile work.

The construction of the temporary shoring tower between Piers 1 and 2 has been completed. The contractor will begin to advance structural steel over Pier 2 and to the shoring towers over the coming weeks. Additional measures to excavate were found to be required in the cofferdam prior to the placement of the concrete tremie seal and those measures were completed this week. The placement of concrete was rescheduled for today. The de-watering and subsequent operations of cutting piles and placing rebar cages have been rescheduled with the de-watering slated to begin middle/end of next week.

The Pier 1 cofferdam has been installed. The construction of the temporary shoring tower between Piers 1 and 2 will continue over the course of next week. The de-watering and water treatment system is up and running, however, the volume of water has exceeded the capacity of the system. Additional measures to excavate and then place a concrete tremie seal in the cofferdam are being completed – hopefully by tomorrow – which should allow the successful de-watering of the cofferdam to begin next week. If de-watering can be accomplished by next week, crews will begin to work on cutting the piles to elevation and placing rebar cages in anticipation of concrete.

Pipe pile clean out has been completed and the crew is mobilizing the equipment for that operation offsite. The construction of the temporary shoring tower between Piers 1 and 2 will continue over the course of next week. Work on the Pier 1 cofferdam sheets began earlier this week and should be completed in the next few working days. De-watering and excavation to subgrade are both operations that are scheduled into next week.

Crews will continue to clean out the pipe piles into early next week. Site work for the shoring tower along the riverbank near Pier 1 has begun and will continue. The shoring tower will be a temporary means to support the structural steel while Pier 1 is being constructed. The Pier 1 cofferdam is also scheduled for construction to begin next week along with the water filtration system of tanks that will be used to treat the groundwater at Pier 1 once the excavation has concluded and dewatering can begin. The soil and the groundwater at this location will both need to be managed and mitigated due to known contaminants in the old fuel yard.

The diesel hammer has finished driving the last pile to bedrock at the Pier 1 location, reducing the noise from the site. Crews have arrived to clean out the piles and remove the spoils from the top 90 feet before the footing can be placed. This clean out operation will continue into next week. Also scheduled for next week, crews will begin construction of the temporary support system for the steel girders that will span from abutment to abutment in the Barrows and Fisher yard near Pier 1.

Due to equipment issues that have since been resolved, pile driving operations are projected to be completed no later than Monday of next week. Once finished, a crew will be onsite to begin cleaning out the piles. This operation will begin next week before the site shuts down for the Thanksgiving Holiday period.

Crews are making good progress driving the 30″ diameter steel pipes to bedrock to serve as the foundation of Pier 1. Nine are to be driven, and it is hoped they will be completed this week. If not, it will continue until completion next week.

Because of the noise, pile driving is only authorized from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Once the ninth pile for Pier 1 is driven to bedrock there will be no more pile driving for this project.

The pile driving frames and platform will be removed next week, and preparations will begin for the arrival of a drill rig the following week. The drill rig will clean out the top 80 feet of each pile so they can be reinforced with concrete and reinforcing steel (rebar).

Crews have finished driving the first of nine 30″ diameter steel pipes to bedrock to serve as the foundation of Pier 1. The distance to bedrock was 150+/- feet.

Pile driving is very loud, so it is only authorized from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It is anticipated to continue through Thanksgiving week. This is the last of the foundation work for this project

Crews have finished removing the foundations of the old tank system at the site where Pier 1 of the new bridge is to be built. A large crane and other equipment and materials have been mobilized to the site. Next week, driving the 30″ diameter steel pipe to bedrock using a diesel hammer, or pile driver, will begin. This very loud pounding is authorized from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and may last from three to five weeks. This is the last of the foundation work for this project

No work is currently scheduled up on the VT 142 corridor.

Backfilling, ditching, and fine grading slopes behind the new curb is complete, and seeding and mulching these areas should be finished this week.

The remaining beam guardrail runs are being installed this week. Related work that is not critical to preparing the road corridor for winter may be done next week, later this Fall as crews are available and the weather allows, or next year.

Recently constructed moment slabs are being cleaned and having waterproofing chemicals applied this week. While work on Pier 1 for the new bridge is getting underway in earnest between the railroad tracks and the Connecticut River, no other work is scheduled for the VT 142 road corridor for the next several weeks, so there will be no need for traffic control.

Installation of granite curb begins Friday, October 6th, and continues into next week. Once installed, crews will back fill and ditch behind it. Fine grading and clean up will continue until complete, with most slopes and the gravel wetland already finished. Seeding and mulching is complete.

Guard rail and fence work remains to be completed before winter, and it may resume at any time as conflicts with other high priority activities wind down. While all the critical tasks for 2023 have been completed on the signals at the intersection where the new bridge will bring VT/NH 119 into VT 142, work may continue there if weather allows.

Crews are finishing the placement of materials and fine grading the wetland detention pond this week. Flaggers are being utilized to stop traffic briefly to allow trucks and equipment to enter and exit wetland and other work areas safely. Installation of granite curbing is planned to begin Wednesday. Once that is done, the ditch lines will be fine graded. Alternating one-way traffic controlled by flaggers, along with a police detail, may be utilized for this work.

Fine grading the new slopes on either side of the road continues. Seeding and mulching of those slopes is set to be completed this week, allowing grass to grow this season. Fine grading of ditches will be done after the granite curbing is installed the first week of October. Fence and guardrail installation is also on hold pending the installation of the curbing.

Moment slab work has been paused to allow this work to be done without congesting the corridor further now that traffic is moving through, and to allow crews to focus on critical tasks that prepare the area for winter.

Placing cap blocks along the South MSE wall has been completed and that area is being cleaned up. Other clean up being done to ready the project for winter includes completing the gravel wetland, cleaning up and around the parking lot at 28 Vernon Street, and working the new slopes on either side of the road. Moment slab work has been paused to allow this work to be done without congesting the corridor further now that traffic is moving through.

The VT 142 paving operation is complete, with 5″ of pavement being placed. Final pavement will be held until the entire project is closer to completion next year. Placement of guard rail, bridge rail and fencing along the northern part of the project was completed this week. Temporary barrier has been placed along the southern portion of the project. Temporary pavement markings have been placed. Fine grading the shoulders, ditch lines and other critical areas, and backing up the pavement edges with crushed stone to eliminate drop-off are also being completed this week.

Vermont Route 142 will open to traffic not later than 6 pm today, Thursday, September 7th, 2023. Ongoing approach work for the new bridge over the CT River for Vermont/New Hampshire Route 119 will require alternating traffic patterns along VT 142 in the future and delays in this area will be encountered off and on until the projected completion of the bridge in 2024.

The VT 142 paving operation is underway today and tomorrow, with 5″ of pavement being placed. Final pavement will be held until the entire project is closer to completion next year. Next week, placement of the bridge rail and fencing along the northern part of the project is scheduled for Tuesday, September 5th. Temporary barrier will be placed along the southern portion of the project. Temporary pavement markings are scheduled for placement on Thursday, September 7th.

VT 142 is scheduled to be opened by the end of the day Friday, September 8th. Detour signs will be taken down and/or covered as a part of the road opening process.