WEST ADDISON — A legion of dignitaries and hundreds of residents from both sides of Lake Champlain marked the much-anticipated opening of the new Champlain Bridge on Monday afternoon.
Gov. Peter Shumlin and state Rep. Diane Lanpher, D-Vergennes, were among the Vermont delegates who helped cut the ribbon on the $76 million bridge that was two years in the making. The former Champlain Bridge, build in 1929, was abruptly closed on Oct. 16, 2009, after it was deemed to be unsafe for travel.
• Watch the 1929 opening of the original Champlain Bridge
• Check out our December 2009 bridge demolition video
• Read all Champlain Bridge coverage
“It’s a critical link for west-central Vermont and New York state, and vital to Vermont’s economic strength, as well as for the people who rely upon that bridge for work and recreation,” Shumlin said. “The structure that is opening today recreates the iconic previous Champlain Bridge, and I’m enormously proud of the design and the execution of this state-of-the-art engineering accomplishment.”
The Addison Independent will have full coverage of this historic event, with photos, in its Thursday, Nov. 10, edition.