(MyKeeneNow) Motorists in Brattleboro and Hinsdale will soon have access to a long-awaited new bridge, set to open on Dec. 5, according to a news release from the Vermont Agency of Transportation.

This 1,800-foot bridge, which replaces the aging twin truss bridges on New Hampshire Route 119 over the Connecticut River, aims to modernize and streamline travel between the two states.

The opening of the new bridge will introduce a revised traffic flow in Brattleboro. Drivers heading eastbound toward NH/VT Route 119 will need to turn onto Vermont Route 142 at a newly installed signalized intersection to access the bridge. Meanwhile, westbound travelers will be directed north on Route 142 to reach U.S. Route 5 (Canal Street). Local traffic will continue to use Bridge Street, which will be marked with barricades to limit through access.

Pedestrians, however, will need to wait a bit longer to use the new bridge. Sidewalk access will remain closed until Spring 2025 due to ongoing contractor operations, with pedestrians directed to continue using the existing accommodations on the old truss bridges until then.

Although the bridge will be open to motor vehicles, construction activities will continue around the site through Spring 2025. Work will persist on parts of the bridge, along Vermont Route 142, and on the New Hampshire side around the old NH 119, Mountain Road, and Marina access areas. Motorists should expect periodic shoulder and lane closures as the finishing touches are applied.

The Brattleboro-Hinsdale bridge project has been underway since fall 2021. The bridge has already received its base and top layers of asphalt, and crews have dismantled temporary structures used during construction.