The U.S. Department of Transportation will commit $25 million to an infrastructure improvement project in Killington, according to Vermont’s congressional delegation.
In a press release issued Friday, the delegation said the project will include a “full-depth reconstruction of the roadway,” as well as the construction of 2.7 miles of shared-use path and 1.4 miles of new sidewalk along Killington Road, commonly referred to as the Killington access road.
The multi-phase project will allow for new stormwater processing upgrades that will result in 100% of stormwater runoff being treated before entering local waterways, according to the release.
The improvements are a part of the Killington Forward Initiative, a series of construction projects that began last fall. The initiative is a public funding response to the goal of Michael Sneyd and the Great Gulf real estate group to bring a new ski village to Killington once the necessary infrastructure upgrades are made. Thousands of new residences and billions of dollars in capital investment could follow, according to the developers.
“We cannot bolster our local economies or strengthen community safety, connectivity, and sustainability if we are not paying attention to the essential methods of transportation that Vermonters need in their daily lives,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., said in a statement.
“This project will help pedestrians and drivers alike with improvements that increase safety, climate resilience, and quality of life,” they added.
The funding will come from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. The town of Killington was the only direct recipient of the program funding in Vermont, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which announced a total of $1.8 billion in awards this week through the grant program.
During the winter months, over 5,000 vehicles use this access road daily as Killington’s year-round population of 1,500 increases tenfold, according to a joint letter of support sent by the delegation last year.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Killington to receive $25M in federal funding for access road, infrastructure improvements.