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Following Public Comment Period, Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Settlement Finalized

Vermont Public | By Amy Kolb Noyes

Published September 27, 2017 at 12:31 PM EDT

This railroad bridge is part of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in Morrisville. According to the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, there are 42 bridges to repair or replace along the trail before it is complete.

The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers and the state have finalized an agreement regarding the construction of a four-season trail across Vermont.

The settlement is between VAST, the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the state’s Natural Resources Board. It essentially takes the remaining construction of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail out of Act 250 jurisdiction.

The settlement was announced last month and then finalized this week following a public comment period.

Cindy Locke, executive director of VAST, has said that the settlement will speed up the project.

VAST leases the rail corridor from the Vermont Agency of Transportion, and elements of the project's Act 250 land use permit will be incorporated into that lease agreement.

About 33 miles of the 93-mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail is currently open. Construction of a section from Sheldon to Swanton is scheduled to start next spring.