FAQs

In the City Memorandum from August 9, 2021, on page 3, in the second paragraph it states; “During the interim period prior to the interstate connection, our Parkway consulting engineers project no substantive change in overall South End traffic even with the first Champlain Parkway phase constructed and opened for public use.”   

The August 9, 2021, City Memorandum can be viewed HERE.

The Champlain Parkway Project will provide improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities along the entire corridor.

As part of the initial contract, a new shared-use path has been constructed which runs north-south, connecting the existing path at Home Avenue to Kilburn Street. The new path runs along the east side of the new Parkway alignment to Lakeside Avenue, and continues along the north side of Lakeside Avenue to Pine Street and extends along the west side of Pine Street to Kilburn Avenue. Shared lane pavement markings were included along the Champlain Parkway, Lakeside Avenue, and Pine Street throughout the project limits of the initial contract. As part of the final contract, bike lanes will be installed along Pine Street between Kilburn Street and Maple Street, and shared lane pavement markings will be included along Pine Street from Maple Street to Main Street.

In addition, a new shared-use path was constructed between U.S. Route 7 (Shelburne Street) near the I-189 off-ramp and Pine Street near South Crest Drive as part of the initial contract.

New continuous and ADA-compliant sidewalks were installed along Pine Street between Lakeside Avenue and Kilburn Street with a connection to the Parkway alignment along the south side of Lakeside Avenue. Several unsignalized intersections along Pine Street at Howard Street, Marble Avenue, and Kilburn Street now feature raised crosswalks which serve to reduce traffic speeds by providing a visually contrasting pavement surface and improving the visibility of pedestrians. As part of the final contract, new continuous and ADA-compliant sidewalks will be installed along the remaining portion of Pine Street between Kilburn Street and Main Street.

Traffic signals were installed at the new intersections of the Champlain Parkway at Home Avenue, Flynn Avenue, Sears Lane and Lakeside Avenue and upgraded at the intersection of Pine Street and Lakeside Avenue. Traffic signals will be installed at the intersections of Pine Street at Maple Street and King Street and upgraded at the intersection of Pine Street at Main Street. All new traffic signals will include an exclusive pedestrian phase with WALK signals, giving pedestrians a safe time to cross when vehicular traffic is stopped. In addition, this project installed an additional mid-block crossing with user-activated rectangular rapid flashing beacons along Pine Street between Howard and Marble Streets.

The existing intersections are inefficiently controlled by four-way stop signs meaning all vehicles approaching these intersections must stop. Traffic signals will be installed at the unsignalized intersections of Pine Street at Maple Street and Pine Street at King Street during the Final Contract. Signalizing these intersections will increase the capacity, therefore, reducing delay and alleviating congestion at these locations. With these upgrades in place, these intersections will operate more efficiently, and the level of service will improve in accordance with the VTrans’ Level of Service Policy.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) options were considered as an alternative to the proposed alternative (the Champlain Parkway Project). The objective of TDM is to reduce vehicular volumes within urban areas through measures including improving public transit, creating park-and-ride facilities that encourage carpooling and/or transit use, increasing bicycle commuting opportunities, and working with employers to provide alternatives to single-occupant vehicle use by employees. The City of Burlington has made considerable efforts focusing on the incorporation of TDM measures over the years. The alternatives analysis, completed as part of the project, indicated that TDM measures alone would not be sufficient to address the project’s purpose and need. The proposed alternative, the Champlain Parkway Project, includes the implementation of some TMD measures.

The Champlain Parkway Project includes transit improvements including new bus shelters and transit signal prioritization at signalized intersections. Transit users will benefit from improved on-time bus service because of the reduced traffic congestion along Pine Street and the Transit Signal Priority capabilities as part of the traffic signal updates.

There are several locations along the Parkway alignment that maintain east/west connectivity for all users to destinations such as Lake Champlain, Red Rocks, and Oakledge Park. There are signalized intersections along the Parkway alignment at Home Avenue, Flynn Avenue, Sears Lane, and Lakeside Avenue that provide all users access to and from the west side of the Parkway alignment. These intersections include crosswalks and a push-activated exclusive pedestrian phase to allow pedestrians a safe time to cross when vehicular traffic is stopped.

The Champlain Parkway Project will be completed in two phases under two separate construction contracts which will be executed sequentially.

The initial contract included the construction of the Champlain Parkway from Home Avenue to Lakeside Avenue and upgrades to Lakeside Avenue and the section of Pine Street between Lakeside Avenue and Kilburn Street. The initial contract began in June 2022 and achieved conditional acceptance in December 2024. This winter crews will finalize adjustments to the timing and phasing of the new traffic signals. Next spring, crews will return to install the Pine Street bus shelters and complete any remaining landscaping.  The final contract includes the construction of the Champlain Parkway from Interstate 189 to Home Avenue and upgrades to Pine Street between Kilburn and Main Streets. Work is anticipated to begin in mid-December 2024 and be completed by Summer 2026.

Construction activities will primarily take place on weekdays (Monday through Friday) during the daytime hours (7:00 AM to 7:00 PM). However, some construction activities are anticipated to take place during the nighttime hours and on weekends as needed. This is dependent on the type of activity, location, associated impacts, contract restrictions, and the City of Burlington regulations.  Construction activities within a residential zone are restricted to between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM on Saturday. For all other zones, construction hours shall adhere to the City of Burlington regulations. The City of Burlington regulations can be viewed here. To determine the Zoning District for your neighborhood click here.

For real-time information on current and upcoming construction hours, please see the most recent Construction Update found on the Project Homepage under Latest News or sign up to receive weekly Construction Updates to your email by clicking here.

Motorists and pedestrians will see temporary traffic barriers set up throughout the construction corridor. Construction will take place in stages with traffic control measures in place for each stage. The construction of the Champlain Parkway (Home Ave to I-189) will take place outside of the active public roadway with limited impact to traffic. As part of this work, the Pine Street connection to Queen City Park Road was permanently closed on March 5 as part of the final contract of the Champlain Parkway Project. Construction along Pine Street between Kilburn Street and Main Street will be completed under one-lane closures and temporary road closures of block segments. Local detours will utilize St Paul Street and adjacent side streets including Kilburn Street, Maple Street, King Street, and Main Street.

Delays and detours are anticipated throughout construction for all users traveling through the project area including public transit. The project team will continue to coordinate with local transportation companies throughout construction to share relevant information that may impact existing routes and schedules to help local transportation companies plan ahead.

Additionally, as part of the final phase of the Champlain Parkway between I-189 and Home Avenue, the Pine Street connection to Queen City Park Road was permanently closed on March 5. On March 3, Green Mountain Transit (GMT) implemented changes to the Number 5 (Pine Street) bus route. Green Mountain Transit closed six bus stops along Pine Street south of Farrell Avenue/Home Avenue and Queen City Park Road and two bus stops along St Paul Street. New bus stops were opened along Pine Street at Home Avenue and Kilburn Street and along the Champlain Parkway at Home Avenue and Flynn Avenue. Service to the GMT Main Office has also been reduced. For additional information, please visit GMT’s website or see the Chittenden County Bus Map and Guide.

Yes, pedestrian access will be maintained throughout construction. Temporary pedestrian accommodations or detours will be installed to guide pedestrians through or around the work zone, as needed. All temporary pedestrian routes will comply with all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Pedestrian access will be provided to all adjacent properties, buildings, residences and businesses at all times. Construction work areas will be secured at the completion of each working day.

We encourage you to sign up to receive our weekly Construction Updates to stay informed of current and upcoming construction activities, including locations, durations, and anticipated impacts such as detours and traffic delays.

You can sign up to receive project emails by clicking here or you can view our most recent Construction Updates and Traffic Alerts on the Project Homepage under Latest News.

The initial construction contract for phase one of the Champlain Parkway Project was awarded to the joint venture between S.D. Ireland Brothers and Kubricky Construction Corporation (SDK). The final construction contract for phase two of the Champlain Parkway Project was awarded to Engineers Construction, Inc. (ECI).

Yes. The contractor will maintain access to adjacent properties during construction. The contractor will also work with local businesses to coordinate and maintain access for deliveries. If there is a need to block access for a period of time, the contractor will coordinate directly with impacted businesses and residents in advance.

We encourage area residents to subscribe to receive our weekly Construction Updates to stay informed of current and upcoming construction activities, including locations, durations, and anticipated impacts. In addition, a member of the project team or the contractor will reach out to residents who are directly impacted by construction activities in advance through door-to-door outreach. The City’s public information team will also conduct outreach to residents and business owners adjacent to construction activities.

You can sign up to receive weekly Construction Updates to your email by clicking here or you can view our most recent Construction Updates on the Project Homepage under Latest News.

The final construction season will focus on the completion of the Champlain Parkway connection between I-189 and Home Avenue and the ramp connections. This work will take place predominantly off the roadway along the unused previously constructed section of the southern connector.

Some finishing work along Pine Street between Kilburn Street and Main Street may continue into this construction season.

Construction began in January and is anticipated to continue through December. Work began on the Champlain Parkway connection between Pine Street and Home Avenue. Starting with clearing and grubbing, the installation of Erosion Protection and Sediment Control Devices, the removal of concrete barriers, and the installation of drainage infrastructure and streetlight conduit and bases. Construction of the Champlain Parkway will continue through the construction season expanding to include I-189 to Pine Street and the ramp connections starting in March. Starting on March 5, crews permanently closed the Pine Street connection to Queen City Park Road to accommodate the Champlain Parkway. At that time crews began construction of the cul-de-sac.

Starting in April and continuing through December, work will begin on the rehabilitation of Pine Street between Kilburn Street and Main Street. The improvements to Pine Street include drainage updates, new granite curbs, pavement, line striping, roadway signage, bicycle and pedestrian accommodation improvements, new traffic signals at Maple and King Streets and upgrades to the existing traffic signal at Main Street.

Early in the planning and design process, potential intersections between the future Champlain Parkway and the existing Pine Street were considered and investigated. Ultimately, it was determined that connecting the future Champlain Parkway and Pine Street was not feasible and the decision was made to close the southern portion of Pine Street and construct a cul-de-sac. An intersection of this location would be challenging from both a safety and an operational standpoint. Traffic going from and to I-189 will be going through several transitions at this location including entering and exiting from/to US Route 7 and changing driveway speeds as vehicles transition between high-speed highway travel and low-speed City streets. In addition, the physical landscape does not allow for a safe connection due to a significant elevation change and Queen City Park Road’s close proximity to the new road. Construction of a pedestrian and bicycle crossing at this location was also considered during the design process. Several options were explored but ultimately were determined to not be feasible due to the physical constraints at this location.

The Champlain Parkway connection to I-189 must be opened by the contractual substantial completion date of June 30, 2026. There is the potential for this connection to be opened to traffic in advance of the substantial completion date. Updates will be posted to the project website and distributed via email to the project stakeholder contact list.