BILL AS INTRODUCED H. 526
2024 Page 1 of 3
1 H.526
2 Introduced by Representatives Anthony of Barre City, Bartholomew of
3 Hartland, Burke of Brattleboro, Campbell of St. Johnsbury,
4 Casey of Montpelier, Galfetti of Barre Town, McFaun of Barre
5 Town, Morrissey of Bennington, Roberts of Halifax, Stebbins
6 of Burlington, and Williams of Barre City
7 Referred to Committee on
8 Date:
9 Subject: Transportation; bridges; flood resilience; flooding; Barre City
10 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to add the
11 redesign of Bridge 9 in Barre City to the Agency of Transportation’s Town
12 Highway Bridges Program.
13 An act relating to the redesign of Bridge 9 in Barre City
14 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
15 Sec. 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS
16 The General Assembly finds:
17 (1) Bridge 9, the bridge over Stevens Branch at Berlin Street in Barre
18 City, was a significant contributor to public and private property damage
19 during the flooding of Stevens Branch due to heavy rainfall on July 10, 2023
20 and July 11, 2023.
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1 (2) In order to prevent future damage caused by the flooding of Stevens
2 Branch, Bridge 9 needs to be removed or redesigned to either increase the
3 high-water clearance of the bridge or remove and replace the existing
4 abutments of the bridge with new abutments that are alternatively placed and
5 sized to better allow for increased water flow within the Stevens Branch.
6 (3) Such a redesign will contribute to flood resilience along the Stevens
7 Branch up- and downstream of Berlin Street.
8 Sec. 2. REDESIGN OF BRIDGE 9
9 (a) The redesign of Bridge 9, the bridge over Stevens Branch at Berlin
10 Street in Barre City, is added to the Agency of Transportation’s Town
11 Highway Bridges Program, with a project completion date on or before June
12 30, 2028. The bridge shall be redesigned to either increase the high-water
13 clearance of the bridge or remove and replace the existing abutments of the
14 bridge with new abutments that are alternatively placed and sized, or both, so
15 as to contribute to flood resilience along Stevens Branch up- and downstream
16 of Berlin Street.
17 (b) If Bridge 9 cannot be redesigned consistent with subsection (a) of this
18 section, then the removal of Bridge 9 is added to the Agency of
19 Transportation’s Town Highway Bridges Program, with a project completion
20 date on or before June 30, 2028.
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1 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE
2 This act shall take effect on July 1, 2024.
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