The Bennington Bypass (Vermont Route 279) will function as an alternate route for both US Route 7 and Vermont Route 9 in the Bennington area. It will provide through traffic on both highways with a convenient, high capacity, limited-access highway around downtown Bennington and Old Bennington.  This will reduce delay, improve safety and decrease congestion for both through traffic and local traffic. It will also permit better use of the local street system by residential and commercial traffic as well as pedestrians, bicyclists and other users of the local streets. Vermont Route 279 will typically consist of a two-lane roadway with shoulders and additional climbing lanes as necessary. Ultimate right-of-way limits to provide for the expansion to a four-lane divided highway in the future have been purchased.

The Bypass consists of three major segments, each with independent utility.  The Western Segment, officially known as the Bennington-Hoosick DPI 0146(1) project, was opened to traffic in October 2004. The next segment to be constructed will be the Northern Segment, officially known as the Bennington NH 019-1(5) project. Construction began in July 2007 and is projected to continue until 2012. The third and final segment is the Southern Segment and is officially known as the Bennington NH 019-1(4) project.  No construction schedule has yet been established.

In 1999, the Vermont Legislature instructed the Vermont Agency of Transportation to develop the site design of a possible welcome center in Bennington at the systems interchange of Routes US 7 and VT 279. This investigation is complete, its conclusions accepted by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the welcome center is expected to be built in conjunction with the construction of the Northern Segment of the Bypass.

An interesting byproduct of the development of this highway has been the $3M archaeological effort which has resulted in an important find of a 4,000-year-old Native American village which has drawn global interest. The fieldwork at the site has been completed. Display panels and artifacts can be viewed by the public at the project field office in Bennington.

Another interesting result of the development of this highway relates to wetlands and the impact the new highway had on the surrounding environment. The alignment of the new highway was selected, in part, to minimize environmental impacts. Wildlife crossings, a separate amphibian mitigation site and a separate wetland mitigation site have been implemented to offset potential impacts that the construction of the highway may have on the environment.

For more information contact:

James Harris
Project Manager
123 Phyllis Lane
Bennington, VT  05201

Phone:  (802) 447- 6425
Fax:       (802) 447-2713
E-mail:  James.Harris@state.vt.us