Crescent Connector

In 2015, the Village of Essex Junction Trustees endorsed a proposal to study pedestrianizing Main Street. This proposal was based upon a preliminary engineering analysis that showed wait times and traffic congestion throughout the village center could be dramatically reduced by routing Main Street traffic onto the Crescent Connector and converting Five Corners to a standard four-way intersection. The Main Street closure concept is still entirely conceptual and must receive thorough engineering and environmental analysis before further steps are taken. That analysis also requires the Crescent Connector to be completed first. The Crescent Connector Project was intended to reduce the traffic volumes at the Five Corners intersection, improve traffic flow within the City, allow traffic through the City to flow more efficiently, and facilitate future development within the City.

The City has long been concerned about the traffic congestion at the Five Corners intersection. It is one of the most congested intersections in one of the most populous areas of the State. Complicating traffic flow through the intersection is the presence of two rail lines that have their confluence in the same proximity, and a small rail yard. Train traffic on the Genesee & Wyoming/New England Central Railroad (NECR) Main Line, and the NECR Burlington 20 Branch travels through the area several times a day, and causes vehicular traffic to stop on the roads leading to/from the Five Corners, further aggravating traffic conditions, especially during peak hours.

In 2023 ECI was contracted by the City of Essex Junction to complete Crescent Connector Phase Two Construction. This project consisted of constructing a new roadway connecting Park Street (Vermont Route 2A) to Maple Street (Vermont 117), a full-depth reconstruction of Railroad Street, installation of two new traffic signals at Park Street and Maple Street, new concrete sidewalks, street lighting improvements, water system expansion, and stormwater conveyance and treatment systems. Construction of the project was further complicated by the presence of Urban Background Soils, Development Soils, and Non-hazardous waste soils.

The Crescent Connector project required a significant amount of coordination between local businesses, private property owners, and the railroad. The project included night work during most paving and milling operations in an effort to avoid traffic disruptions during peak traffic hours. ECI performed work on this project throughout the construction season and through the winter months. The project was successfully completed on time and on budget.