Renovating an Historic Bridge with a Very Unusual Name

Although FHI is most definitely a planning firm, our work is not limited to the early stages of projects. We often fill a critical role on design teams with our traffic and environmental work, and we are developing a growing practice in construction phase services, particularly in the areas of traffic flow, wetland mitigation and monitoring, and public outreach/public relations. One recent example involves a design-build project in Vermont.

This past spring FHI began work on a design-build bridge project in Richmond, Vermont, with Ruth Fitzgerald of FHI in the role of "Public Information Officer." Led by Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors and with Clough Harbour as the design lead, this fascinating project involves the renovation of an historic truss bridge in a very unusual way. The Route 2 Checkered House Bridge over the Winooski River is the Vermont Agency of Transportation's second design-build project since the legislature authorized design-build delivery in 2009.

While communicating with the public is a staple of most planning projects, public information and outreach during construction is a growing area of practice. The focus of public information during construction makes an important shift from inviting public input on the project itself, to informing the public about construction-related activities, responding to needs and comments, and being proactive about minimizing disruption to reduce construction impact.

Getting the name right

Transportation planners, contractors and engineers often use formal names such as Bridge No. 24 or the Route 2 Richmond Bridge to identify projects. But, the Checkered House Bridge? Should we use this name in communications with the public? While locals may know the bridge by that name, what about people from outside the area who travel through Richmond?

Before developing a URL for a project website and branding the project for press releases and traveler advisories, FHI did a bit of investigation outside the local community. The answer was clear. The bridge is widely known as the Checkered House Bridge. Hence, the website we developed for helping the community know what's going on is www.checkeredhousebridge.com.

The Checkered House Bridge, built by the American Bridge Co. in 1929, got its name from a nearby former farmhouse known as "Checkered House" because of its red brick pattern. The house, which dates back to colonial times, is now a restaurant. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Many communication tools

For the Route 2 project, coordination, sometimes daily, with Vermont’s 511 traveler information service, the Chittenden County MPO’s traffic alert system, emergency responders, school bus companies and postings to the project website, www.checkeredhousebridge.com became routine, particularly during periods of blasting or necessary traffic stoppages.

FHI used informal communication networks too. The Richmond Town Clerk offered to send traffic alerts to an extensive email notification list. And the Town Administrator posted news alerts on The Front Porch Forum, an on-line neighborhood forum that reaches 70% of households in the town.

Connecting with formal and informal communication networks, developing relationships with “on the ground” stakeholders, identifying community concerns quickly to enable a contractor to respond can be the difference between a project that goes smoothly and one that hits bumps in the road. 

Temporary detour bridge

FHI's Ruth Fitzgerald (right) and construction location
manager view site of the new temporary bridge.

Mid-May: Much of the steel frame is in place,
and workers continue to assemble the new
temporary bridge, piece by piece.

June 22: The new temporary bridge opens.

The Checkered House Bridge cannot remain open while it’s renovated, so a temporary detour bridge needed to be built. It took three months to complete the detour and required one lane closures and several traffic stoppages during rock blasting.

When neighbors voiced concerns about sight distance via the project website after a temporary bridge detour opened, FHI immediately alerted the contractor. The contractor’s on-site manager listened to these concerns and responded quickly by re-aligning the temporary detour to increase visibility. Once the temporary detour opened in June, the design-build team switched focus to the Checkered House Bridge itself. The 1929-era metal truss bridge will be widened and strengthened. How can this be done? 

Stay tuned. We’ll let you know how the bridge will be widened in a future edition of this newsletter.