1929 – 2009; 2011 to the future

The Champlain Bridge opened for vehicular traffic in August, 1929. New York Gov. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Vermont Gov. John Weeks met at the midway point of the Lake Champlain Bridge to commemorate what Roosevelt termed a “wedding” of the two states.

Both New York and Vermont shared the cost of the construction, with the remainder to be collected through tolls. The continuous truss design was chosen to match the beauty of the surrounding countryside, whereas the high central arch, 90 feet off the water, was to continue to allow the stacks of lake steamboats to pass under it.

FPO Newly Constructed Champlain Bridge, 2011

In December 2009, the Champlain Bridge was determined to be unsafe, and after 80 years in operation, it was demolished. An interim ferry service was instated in February 2010 by the Lake Champlain Transportation Company as the new bridge was under construction, managed by the NY Department of Transportation, funded by federal and state (NY & VT) allocations, and contracted to Flatiron Construction Corporation.

The new Champlain Bridge opened for traffic on November 9, 2011, once again connecting Chimney Point, VT and Crown Point, NY. It features wider lanes to accomodate pedestraian and bike traffic. Read more about the bridge’s engineering and design on NYS DOT’s Lake Champlain Bridge Project.