Studies and Reports Database

The purpose of this report is to address the requirements of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Interstate Access Policy as it relates to a proposed interchange between I-89 and VT State Route 116 in South Burlington, VT (Exit 12B). It will be used to seek preliminary approval of a new access to the interstate from FHWA and provides information that will support the continued planning and analysis of the proposed project. The FHWA Interstate Access Policy was established to ensure that new access points achieve their intended purpose without significantly reducing the ability of the interstate to safely and efficiently accommodate through traffic. To satisfy the FHWA Access Policy, an Interstate Access Justification Report (IJR) must be prepared that provides the analyses necessary to address eight requirements that define the approach to the study and are generally related to traffic operations and safety, transportation planning and land use planning.

The purpose of this study is to explore innovative financing options for the construction of a proposed new interchange between I-89 and VT 116 in the City of South Burlington, VT (referred to as Exit 12B). The report responds to the requirements of Section 99 of Act No. 50 (H.438) of the 2009-2010 Legislature, which charged the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO) with completing a pilot project to "... examine the potential for a public-private initiatives program...for the advancing of an interchange on Interstate 89 along Vermont Route 116 in South Burlington...". To undertake this task, the CCMPO convened an advisory committee in June 2009 that provided information and input and directed the consultants

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This study analyzed several potential improvements to the I-89 corridor between Exits 12 and 15, including the Exit 12B interchange. While the study was initiated as an Environmental Assessment, it stopped well short of this and recommendations were made to proceed separately with several individual projects. Traffic projections and environmental screening were performed including potential wetland and archaeological impacts within or near the Interstate right of way (ROW), as well as potential air and noise impacts.