Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6Before & After: Stream crossing across from Marty’s First Stop in Danville. Lamoille Valley Railroad. The trains continued to run on the track through the 1980s, but service continued to dwindle until operations ceased in 1994. Several years later, severe flooding damage squashed attempts to revive the line as it was deemed unprofitable to repair and was finally abandoned. Future: As the times have changed, the rail line has changed as well to meet our needs. No longer do we need to ship the milk that builds our bones; now we need to stretch our legs and build our muscle atop the frame. We need fresh air, sunshine and song birds, snowstorms and rain showers. We need opportunities for ourselves and neighbors to experience the wonder of Vermont again. We need the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Once again when the future of the Lake Road was at its bleakest point, it found a way to keep going. In 1997, the VAST Board of Directors formed the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Committee to respond to the State of Vermont’s request for proposal of future uses for the Lamoille Valley Railroad. The LVRTC’s development plan consisted of transforming the ROW into a year- round, multi-use recreation destination spanning across the northern portion of the state. It was selected as the best future use for the ROW and after Legislative approval in 2002, the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) came into being. In that same year, the Federal Surface Transportation Board allowed the rail line to become the LVRT. With that designation, then Representative Bernie Sanders was able to earmark Federal Highway funds for the project. In 2006, the State had the old rail and ties torn up and signed a lease with VAST giving them permission to rehabilitate the line. After several revisions and amendments, the total amount of funds for the trail project were $6,540,861. The funding was allowed to be spent on the design engineering for the project as well as the actual construction of the trail. The Federal Highway Administration granted $5,232,729 with the obligation that it be matched by VAST with $1,308,132 from a combination of capital and in-kind contributions. Many towns and gracious donors have contributed their time and money to this project to help VAST complete the trail. The time that staff have spent hard at work planning and coordinating the construction of the LVRT have also been credited towards the grant match. With State and Federal approval, Project Engineer Alan Robertson and then Trails Assistant Matt Tetreault began the long engineering assessment of the 96 miles of railroad bed. Section by section, mile by mile, they meticulously catalogued each and every culvert, cattlepass, and bridge. It was their thorough notes, detailed GPS work and stunning photography that culminated in the 2008 LVRT Assessment. The Assessment was the primary document used to create the plan to rehabilitate the trail. The project was broken into three phases to make it more manageable. Phase I was subdivided into three parts, A, B, and C. Like the original construction in 1877, construction would begin in the east, heading westward. IA begins in St. Johnsbury, extending through Danville to the border with Walden. IB starts in Morristown and winds its way down the Lamoille River to Cambridge Junction. IC connects Sheldon Junction trough Highgate, ultimately terminating in Swanton at the end of the rail line. Between 2008 and breaking ground in 2013, an engineering firm was hired on to design the bridges, drainage structures, and overall construction plans. The trail went through the ACT 250 process, (Vermont’s land use and development act) as well as attaining the other necessary permits. It was originally believed that the LVRT would be exempt from this process as the trail was restoring an existing railroad and would have minimal environmental impact. While this is initially was the case, that decision was reversed and VAST was made to go through the ACT 250 process adding more time and costs onto the project. Once the permits were approved, the project was finally put out to bid and once awarded, construction finally began on the long anticipated Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Progress: The first sections of the LVRT have been completed, but it has not all been easy going. Building this trail has been similar restoring an old farm house: you have no idea what’s under the surface until you pull off the plaster. Instead of uncovering several generations of questionable electrical code compliance, we have a century and a half of evolution in construction techniques to contend with. Some stone structures have been cracked and separated by years of frost and plant growth, while