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November 2, 2009

New ferry planned for Champlain Bridge area

24-hour service to start in December at bridge site

By LOHR McKINSTRY

ELIZABETHTOWN — Essex County lawmakers revealed Monday that the state plans to start a 24-hour, free ferry next to the boarded-up Champlain Bridge in Crown Point.

The ferry would launch from temporary docks to be constructed south of the bridge at the Crown Point Reservation State Campground.

It would open at the beginning of December and use two ferries, an ice breaker and a smaller boat to reach the Vermont side at Chimney Point.

The new ferries would alleviate some of the hardship caused by the abrupt shutdown of the bridge on Oct. 16, according to members of the County Board of Supervisors.

Supervisors Thomas Scozzafava (R-Moriah), Dale French (R-Crown Point) and Robert C. Dedrick (R-Ticonderoga) attended a meeting Friday with state officials and representatives of ferry-operator Lake Champlain Transportation at the newly established Champlain Bridge Outreach Center.

"The discussion was based on the exploration of putting two ferries just south of the Champlain Bridge, coming off the boat launch on the campsite side," Scozzafava said.

"That helps employees working the night shift. We're hopeful this newest plan of action takes place. It won't solve all the problems, but it will make it easier for those people that have to cross."

YEAR-ROUND
The new ferries would be year-round and run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Currently, Lake Champlain Transportation's Essex-Charlotte, Vt., Ferry makes its last trip from Vermont at 10 p.m., while the independent Ticonderoga Ferry ends at 8 p.m.

DOT Communications Director Skip Carrier said Monday that work on a temporary ferry at Crown Point is "proceeding aggressively. We're trying to get everything in place. We don't have a timetable yet. That will depend on what we find."

Crews were at the campground boat launch Monday taking test borings.

NO TEMPORARY BRIDGE
Meanwhile, State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee and Vermont Agency of Transportation Secretary David Dill jointly announced that the states will not explore use of a temporary bridge at Chipman's Point, south of Ticonderoga, after the crossing was criticized as too remote.

"I have heard the residents loud and clear that any temporary bridge or temporary ferry service absolutely must be located in the vicinity of the Lake Champlain Bridge corridor," Gee said in a news release.

Dill said they're seeking a Crown Point location for a temporary bridge.

"Survey crews are exploring locations on both sides of the lake and both south and north of the closed bridge. We are working seven days a week with the goal of getting people's lives back to as close to normal as quickly as we can."

LAWSUIT EYED
Scozzafava moved a unanimously approved resolution Monday asking the state to implement the 24-hour Crown Point ferry as quickly as possible.

The county also OK'd having County Attorney Daniel Manning III check the feasibility of the county filing a class-action lawsuit against the state for negligence in the maintenance of the Champlain Bridge and the closure of the bridge without a contingency plan in place that would have alleviated the disruption to workers and businesses.

Supervisor Dale French (R-Crown Point) said the suit would address the loss of income to everyone who relied on the bridge and the extra costs incurred by people who use Vermont medical facilities.

"The state had ample prior written notice (of bridge problems) over a long period of time. The state not only ignored the warnings of the Essex County Board of Supervisors by failing to maintain the bridge but failed to develop a contingency plan for bridge closure that could have been swiftly implemented."

The state said the bridge was closed because inspections showed severe erosion of the unreinforced concrete making up the bridge pillars.

Manning will research the issue and report back to the county.

E-mail Lohr McKinstry at: lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com

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