City Council Opposes Beltway

Proposal and Savings
Cancel plans to complete the Chittenden County Circumferential Highway. Estimated project costs are $82 million — 80 percent federally funded.

Background
The Circumferential Highway was conceived in the 1950’s as a ring road, then proposed again in the early 1980’s as a two-lane, low-speed road. Today the Circumferential Highway is designed as a 16-mile, four-lane beltway. The project was intended to ease traffic in Essex Jct. and around Burlington, Vermont, and would link Interstate 89 in Williston with Interstate 89 in Colchester; a Colchester-Burlington expansion was added to the design later. A four-mile section has been constructed, with about 12 miles remaining. About 97 acres of right-of-way remain to be purchased in Colchester, including school property, open land, and farm land.

Status
In June 1998, the Burlington City Council voted not to support the project. However, the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization approved $32 million for the project in July 1998. According to state estimates, the remaining sections would cost at least $82 million.

Problems with the project

Taxpayer Concerns
According to an editorial by the Burlington Free Press, the highway "threatens to siphon businesses and shops from Burlington’s downtown … [and] will promote far-flung development on open lands and perpetuate more of the strip development that is sapping the vitality of historic town centers."

Local Community Concerns
Anticipation of the highway has already led to construction of a large shopping center in a farm field; areas along the proposed route have been rezoned commercial growth areas. According to the Conservation Law Foundation, "The loop road, if built, will spur sprawl and loss of hundreds of acres of farmland, destroy rare sandplain habitat … and divert scarce transportation dollars from higher priorities needs such as public transportation and fixing current roads and bridges. All for what? So commuters can save a few minutes driving between home and work." One portion of the project would destroy trails in a natural wooded area where school sports teams train and people walk, mountain bike, and cross-country ski.

Environmental Concerns
The highway would run through an area with 160 acres of sandplain ecosystem. Once plentiful Vermont sandplain communities have largely been destroyed by development projects. According to former State Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Barbara Ripley, "the few minutes saved on the commute home might lead to the disappearance of some species from Vermont for all time."

Contacts
Lea Terhune, Colchester Citizens group, (888) 729-4109; Brian Dunkiel, Friends of the Earth, (802) 862-1706, bdunkiel@foe.org; Mark Sinclair, Conservation Law Foundation, (802) 223-5992; Chapin Spencer, Vermont Citizen Transportation Alliance, (802) 660-3500 (x243).