Airport Drive Sidewalk
What
New sidewalk 5 ft, accessible
Where
Airport Drive West St to the Rec Fields
Status
In design Fuss & O’Neill
Construction
Summer 2027 goal, not final
Funding
$240,000 grant federal, through VTrans
Questions
Town Administrator (802) 453-2410
What is happening and why
Airport Drive has no sidewalk. People walking to Mount Abe, the Recreation Fields, the Hub Teen Center and skate park, the American Legion and the Bristol Trail Network walk in the road with cars, trucks and school buses, or on a dirt shoulder.
The plan: a 5-foot concrete sidewalk on the east side of Airport Drive, built to accessibility (ADA) standards, with a 5-foot grass strip between the sidewalk and the road. It runs about 1,000 feet, from the existing sidewalk on West Street (Routes 116 and 17) north to the existing path beside the Recreation Fields that leads to Mount Abe.
It also gives Firehouse Drive residents a safe way downtown, serves people who park at the school for downtown events and creates a walking loop.
This is the route chosen from the 2022 scoping study. Building it may mean moving a few utility poles, a fire hydrant and part of the fence at the school gate. Lighting and other details will be settled during design.
Timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Scoping study by DuBois & King, with public meetings on August 8 and September 14 |
| Nov 2023 | Selectboard authorizes a Transportation Alternatives grant application |
| Mar 2024 | VTrans awards $240,000 in federal funds |
| Sep 2024 | Grant agreement signed. The project must be finished by October 2028. |
| Dec 2024 | Selectboard approves the Addison County Regional Planning Commission as project manager |
| Jul 2025 | Selectboard approves Fuss & O’Neill as design engineer |
| Oct 2025 | Design kick-off with the engineer, the Regional Planning Commission, VTrans and the Town |
| 2026 | Design |
| Spring 2027 | Goes out to bid (planned) |
| Summer 2027 | Construction (goal) |
Bid and construction dates are goals from the engineer’s proposal and the project kick-off. The final schedule will come out of design.
Common questions
Which side of the road?
The east side, the same side as the Recreation Fields and the school.
Will there be streetlights?
Lighting will be decided during design.
What happens during construction?
Details on traffic, timing around the school year and access to the Recreation Fields will be posted here before work starts.
Who pays for it?
A $240,000 federal grant covers 80% of the 2023 cost estimate. The grant amount is capped. The local share is planned to be split between the Town’s Sidewalk Reserve Fund and the Mount Abraham Unified School District.
How do I share a comment or concern?
Contact the Town Administrator. Updates will be posted on this page.
Latest updates
Oct 15, 2025
Design kick-off
The project team met to start design, with construction targeted for summer 2027.
Jul 28, 2025
Design engineer approved
The Selectboard approved Fuss & O’Neill, hired through the VTrans At-the-Ready program.
Dec 16, 2024
Project manager approved
The Addison County Regional Planning Commission will manage the project for the Town.
Mar 25, 2024
Grant awarded
VTrans awarded $240,000 in federal Transportation Alternatives funds.
Funding
Estimated cost: $300,000.
- $240,000 federal Transportation Alternatives grant through VTrans (capped)
- $60,000 local match, planned to be shared by the Town’s Sidewalk Reserve Fund and the Mount Abraham Unified School District
Estimate from the 2023 grant application. It will be updated during design.
Documents
PDF, DuBois & King, October 2022
Image, from the 2022 scoping study
PDF, September 14, 2022 public meeting
School district letter of support
PDF, November 2023
Questions
Contact
Greg Faust, Town Administrator
Phone
(802) 453-2410
Project manager
Addison County Regional Planning Commission
Design engineer
Fuss & O’Neill
Funding
VTrans Transportation Alternatives Program
Thank you for your patience as we make Airport Drive safer for walking.