ADDISON COUNTY — Motorists are being warned to expect some delays as work gets under way on some major construction projects that will include replacement of bridges and/or culverts in Bristol, Lincoln, Hancock and Bridport, as well as paving work on portions of Routes 22A, 100 and 7.
Josh Donabedian, transportation and energy planner with the Addison County Regional Planning Commission, provided details on the work, some of which has already begun.
The major VTrans projects slated for this summer include:
•  Replacement of Bridge No. 6 in Bristol, located around 2.6 miles south of the intersection of Routes 116 and 17 (this is less than a quarter of a mile south of the former one-lane stoplight bridge that was replaced last year).
The current bridge No. 6 is a single-span, two-lane structure built in 1931. It is 24 feet long and 29 feet wide. The bridge superstructure, which is a concrete slab, is in poor condition, according to VTrans officials.
The replacement bridge will be made of precast pre-stressed concrete slab that will be 51 feet long and 35 feet wide with two, 11-foot travel lanes and two four-foot shoulders. It will also feature railing.
Plans call for the bridge to be closed from this coming Monday, July 20, to Aug. 14. Signs will guide traffic through the following detours: Those travelling south on 116 will be re-routed west on Route 17 to south on Route 7 in New Haven through Middlebury to the intersection of Routes 116 and 7 in East Middlebury.  Those driving north on 116 will be re-routed north on Route 7 through Middlebury and New Haven to east on Route 17 to the intersection of Routes 17 and 116. 
Construction on the project will continue after the bridge reopens on Aug. 14.
Cost of the project: around $1.13 million.
•  Replacement of Bridge 19 that spans the New Haven River on East River Road in the town of Lincoln.
Transportation officials noted the current bridge, built in 1934, is deteriorating. There are areas of spalling and chipping on the fascia and underside of the concrete deck, with several visible holes in the deck. The bridge is 128 feet long and 21 feet wide.
The new bridge will be 128 feet long and 28 feet wide. It will be a single span structure, eliminating the need for a future pier, according to transportation officials. The removal of the pier will reduce long-term maintenance needs and improve hydraulics, officials said. The new bridge will feature widened shoulders to accommodate bicycles and pedestrians and will include crash-tested railing along the span and at the approaches.
Work began in June and the bridge was closed to traffic on July 8, according to Donabedian. It is expected to reopen on Aug. 27.
During the bridge closure period, a traffic detour is in effect. Those travelling from the north will take Gove Road, to West Hill Road, to Ripton Road, to Grimes Road, to South Lincoln Road. Those travelling from the south will take South Lincoln Road, to Grimes Road, to Ripton Road, to West Hill Road to Gove Road.
Cost of the project: $2,365,854.
•  Replacement of bridges 2 and 5 on Route 125 in Bridport, spanning West Branch Brook and Drainage Brook, respectively. These bridges are located 1.6 miles east of the intersection with Route 22A. That work began earlier this week. Minor delays were envisioned through at least this Friday, according to Donabedian.
•  Replacement of a major culvert on Route 125, located in Ripton at mile marker 5.75 — near the Hancock town line just west of the Snow Bowl. Traffic is expected to be shut down from July 20 to July 25 at around 8 p.m. each day, according to Donabedian. A signed detour will lead motorists from Route 100 in Hancock to Route 73 in Rochester to Route 7 in Brandon, and back to Route 125.
• Re-surfacing of Route 7, beginning a mile north of downtown Brandon and extending north for 15.172 miles through Leicester and Salisbury to Creek Road in Middlebury. Work is scheduled for next month.
• Re-surfacing of Route 22A from Addison 4 Corners to the Bridport town line, a project scheduled for August.
Reporter John Flowers is at johnf@addisonindependent.