Two large format and well-lit signs now sit on the east and west sides of the Meadow Road bridge over the Mad River in Waitsfield, alerting drivers of the eight-ton limit for the bridge.
The town will be installing cameras as well to monitor whether the posted limit is being adhered to or whether scofflaws are ignoring the signs on the one-way bridge. There are no exceptions to the limit except for public safety vehicles and town road crews. Town administrator York Haverkamp said this week that town road crews are also avoiding the bridge due to how severely the bridge is compromised.
Haverkamp said that the cameras will allow the town to record any damage caused by overweight vehicles whose passage causes further degradation of the bridge or potentially injures or damages subsequent drivers/ vehicles that are within the posted limits.
The continued deterioration of Meadow Road bridge prompted the Waitsfield Select Board to issue an eight-ton limit for the bridge last week.
The status of the bridge has been on the board’s radar for years, but it became critical after July 2024 flooding closed several other bridges and routes, causing a significant increase in traffic on the one-lane bridge.
At its November 10 meeting this week, the board revoked previously granted exemptions to the eight-ton limit. Town administrator York Haverkamp said that after extensive work with VTrans and the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, the town is faced with either posting the bridge at eight-ton with no exceptions other than those two, or closing it altogether.
This move comes after the town learned that new engineering assessments revealed worsening structural damage that could threaten the safety of drivers and the longevity of the bridge. This comes after months of discussion about the aging structure, which connects Meadow Road to Route 100 and serves residents, delivery trucks, and local school buses.
The latest inspection, found multiple signs of distress in the steel I-beams and decking, along with expanding cracks in the abutments and new potholes in the driving surface. Scribner’s report characterized the deterioration as “progressive,” meaning it will continue to worsen if left unaddressed.
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