Burke Receives Sidewalk Grant

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Created on Wednesday, 14 November 2012 19:06

Written by Katelyn Zenie

EAST BURKE - The town of East Burke may be seeing some sidewalk improvement this coming spring, due to the $420,000 grant that was awarded to the town.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation's bicycle and safety program awarded this grant to the town in order to improve their old sidewalks. The current sidewalks are eroding and need a lot of work.

The town of Burke has been working on this project for about two years now, and the grant is to cover the construction of 670 feet of sidewalk on route 114. However, since the project is a reimbursable program, the town will need to come up with 10 % of the funds, or $42,000. The town will vote for or against this project in January by Australian ballot.

"We have a tremendous amount of bike traffic. We have a tremendous amount of tourist traffic.  It looks like the mountain is going to expand or increase its traffic," Burke Selectman Sam Sanderson said.

Sanderson went on to explain where exactly the improvements will go, "The sidewalks will come around in front of the clubhouse go to Bailey's store or the Northeast Kingdom store and on the left side they will come from Diamond where the Burke Hollow road comes in, up to the bridge past the River Garden and the Mini Mart."

If this project passes in January, the construction of the sidewalks will start in the spring, and officials hope that the project is finished by the summer.