MIDDLEBURY — After half a decade closed to most motorized vehicles, Middlebury’s Creek Road could reopen to cars and trucks by the end of this week.
The Middlebury selectboard this past week gave its final approval to a Creek Road reopening plan that’s contingent on installation of guardrail at nine key locations. 
Creek Road runs from Court Street on its north end to Three Mile Bridge Road on the south end. The road has been closed to through traffic for the past five years, due to flood-related damage. It’s currently gated at two locations, with access granted to farmers and the few residents who live along the road.
Bill Kernan, Middlebury’s director of operations, said Monday he hopes to have the requisite guardrail installed this week. He said some additional repairs need to be done in a section where the road has slightly shifted.
Middlebury officials cautioned that more work will need to be done to Creek Road before it can be counted on to serve motorists in the long term. Middlebury’s Infrastructure Committee will be looking at some of those potential long-term fixes during the coming months.