LYNDON — The Development Review Board reviewed updated plans to renovate the Sanborn Covered Bridge, which was nearly destroyed in last summer’s flooding after being removed from its perch over the Passumpsic River as part of a $2.2 million renovation project.
The board had approved an earlier version of the project in May 2024, but after the catastrophic July 2024 flood, engineers revised the design to raise the bridge higher and strengthen its abutments. The new design would elevate the bridge above the 500‑year flood level, with an additional foot of freeboard, to better protect it and nearby infrastructure during future floods.
Select Board Chair Chris Thompson said the updated plan improves flood mitigation by lifting the bridge. “The town is presenting to you tonight a better project than the one that your legislative body approved unanimously about a year and a half ago,” Thompson told the board. “This version of the design provides greater protection for not only the bridge itself, but also for the community, by increasing flood resilience in the area around the bridge.”
Because the revisions represent a material change, the project requires new site plan approval and a conditional use permit to rebuild and replace the bridge and abutments within the special flood hazard overlay district. The board has 45 days to issue a decision.
The bridge was disassembled and removed after the swollen Passumpsic River bowed the structure, broke one abutment, and nearly swept it away. The redesign aims to address those vulnerabilities.
The original plans would have raised the bridge about 2.5 feet to meet required flood protections. The new design increases elevation by four feet — one foot above the 500‑year flood level — and increases the waterway opening beneath the bridge by about 50% compared to the previous plan.
Pedestrian access will change as well, featuring steps at the north entrance and an ADA‑accessible ramp on the south side, with bollards to block motorized vehicles.
If approved, the project would go out to bid this winter, with construction expected to begin in the spring and take about a year to complete, depending on funding and bid results. The final budget has not been updated to reflect inflation and design changes, and officials said they may need to adjust plans if costs exceed available funds.
During the meeting, Zoning Administrator Jon Prue asked whether easements and grant conditions could limit future development around the bridge. The discussion highlighted that parking areas would be permissible under grant restrictions, but larger park features might not.
According to Thompson, the updated design aims to protect the investment and preserve the bridge’s historical significance while improving flood resilience.
Built in 1869 and moved to its current site in 1960, the Sanborn Covered Bridge was purchased by the town in 2022 along with a two‑acre parcel on the south end.
Editors note: Information reprinted with permission from the Caledonian Record Publishing Company, Inc.