JAMAICA — For the first time since Tropical Storm Irene struck Vermont on Aug. 28, all 216 miles of Route 100 are open from the Massachusetts border to the Northeast Kingdom.
On Saturday, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) opened temporary bridges on Route 100 in Jamaica and along Route 73 in Rochester.
Opening the Jamaica bridge means Route 100 is now open in its entirety for the first time since the storm, while opening the Rochester bridge allows residents who for seven weeks have been using a foot bridge to access Route 100 to use a motor vehicle instead.
“We now have restored traffic over all but three damaged bridge locations, and those we will reopen before winter,” Transportation Secretary Brian Searles said.
In Jamaica, Irene knocked out four state bridges. Three of these locations were reopened earlier, leaving the temporary bridge along Route 100 as the final location.
The new span restores travel between Jamaica and Wardsboro, and eliminates a detour along local roads that took about 20 minutes.
Travelers using Route 100 need to drive with caution, AOT officials warn, as several stretches - including several miles in the Wardsboro area - contain gravel sections and are still under construction.
For up-to-date information on storm-related openings and closings, people can call 1-800-Vermont or go to the agency's website, where they can sign up for alerts pushed to their mobile phone. You can also follow recovery efforts on both Facebook and Twitter.