PUBLIC MEETING WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 ON ROUTE 104 ISSUES

ROUTE 104 ISSUES UNDER STUDY
Corridor poses its own brand of challenges
By Gary Rutkowski – Messenger Staff

The above photo, courtesy of Albert Rich depicts the actual building of Highway 104 just North of Fairfax Village.

FAIRFAX – Selectman Ed Nuttall can recite a list of Route 104 concerns. The rural highway bumps and snakes its way through this small, but rapidly growing town and there are accidents waiting to happen.

The Vermont 104 corridor is now receiving special attention as local planners begin to address such issues and plan for the future.

A meeting here Wednesday will allow area residents a say in those talks and a firm has been hired to provide recommendations.

Route 104 runs from Vermont 105 in St. Albans Town to Vermont 15 in Cambridge. A spur, Route 104A, branches off to connect Fairfax with Georgia; it ends at U.S. 7.

The most often heard complaint Nuttall hears about the highway is the deteriorating washboard-like stretch of highway north of Fairfax village. Rep. Carolyn Branagan and Brian Dunsmore are pressing hard to nudge a pavement refurbishment project up the state priority list.

Nuttall said otherwise construction could be 10 years away. The selectman said he is happy with the representatives’ efforts, saying they are “duking it out” with the state for a project “that is a must.”

Other Route 104 concerns dot the highway:

The large curve near the Route 128 intersection has caused accidents.

A blinking light at the Y-shaped Fletcher Road intersection in the town center causes a bottleneck and confusion. Truck traffic downtown is also a concern.

There are high-speed alleys in the Buck Hollow, Huntville and Wilkins Road areas.

Brick Church Road funnels a substantial amount of traffic onto 104 in Fairfax. Nearby a local farmer has concern about his 104 cattle-crossings.

Snowmobile crossings pose their own kind of hazards.

A large sweeping curve on the approach to 104A from Fairfax causes confusion for motorists.

Route 104A poses it own challenges, particularly near the Georgia High Bridge where fatal accidents have occurred in a hilly area near the fishing access to Arrowhead Mountain Lake.

Nuttall said parking areas, not officially designated by the state, are located on the Cambridge side of Fairfax, in particular one at Fairfax Falls. Fishermen use state highway equipment pull-off areas along the Lamoille River, one of the busier one is the bridge near the village center.

These traffic hazards and other issues will be up for discussion at the 7 p.m. public meeting next Wednesday, April 21 in the Bellows Free Academy Middle School gymnasium.

The Northwest Regional Planning Commission already has hired Wilbur Smith Associates to perform a detailed study of the 104 corridors.

According to Bill Rose, staff planner, the study will examine existing conditions and make recommendations for improvements and planning options. The goal is to improve traffic circulation and access for all modes of transportation – from automobile to pedestrian.

The Wednesday meeting, the first of two public sessions, will focus on public input. The second will present consultants; recommendations.

“If you live, work or travel within this corridor please take this opportunity to have your voice heard in this process to determine the future function and appearance of this important corridor,” said Rose in announcing the meetings.