See how the nice old Vermont shields, with the stylish white on green positive contrast supplemental signs and proper NY trailblazers, have turned into something awful with boring green on white signs and incorrect US shields? At least it still makes for conversation. This photo was taken during the emergency replacement of the Crown Point Bridge to NY 185, which is why there was a ferry to use. I worry, though, that except for replacing the "Use Ferry" plaque, this assembly remains intact, which would go along with the horror that is the shield atop this page leaving that intersection.


WB up to and over the new Crown Point Bridge; unfortunately, I never got photos of the old one before its demise. It was designed on the cheap, on the fly, and with enough community input to tie the arch into the piers below the bridge instead of just having it sit on top of the bridge. All of those elements are exactly what the doctor ordered when a vital link is unexpectedly closed and has to be replaced.


Stop and smell the scenery to the north.


Pieces of the old bridge, the first in the museum on the Vermont side (part of the lattice cross-bracing) and the others along the side of the lake, possibly to become part of a future museum exhibit. Based on the location of the former support in the last photo, though, it's clear that the only reason this metal remnant is still here is because that's where it fell off of the support during the demolition process. Nonetheless, every other piece of the bridge was cleaned up, so there must be a reason why this one was not.


Visiting in July of 2011, when the new bridge was well into construction, but without a center span for the time being. That piece was later floated along Lake Champlain and raised into place. The only way to maintain the connection between communities was to run a temporary ferry. Many people lived on one side of the lake and used the Crown Point Bridge to commute to and from work, visit friends and family, and pick up necessary supplies. That's why the ferry ran all through the winter of 2011, whereas most ferries would typically stop running during ice season. The strong tie between Crown Point, NY and Chimney Point, VT led to active community involvement during all phases of bridge design and construction and helped make the emergency project a great success. It also led to an amazingly well-attended opening ceremony in 2012 (where the first set of photos were taken), whereas most new bridges may get a few dozen people and news media.


Looking north as the ferry heads west to New York and doing my best to make the twilight look artistic.

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The Champlain Memorial Lighthouse on the west side of the lake, not actually used for any lighthouse purpose. (It stopped functioning when the first Crown Point Bridge was built, after only 15 years of operation.)


This informative sign is quite close to the eastern touchdown point of the bridge.


Also in the vicinity of the bridge.


Deeper into the state now, an aging reverse-color assembly that shows why Vermont flip-flopped the color scheme. In a few years, the arrows will just be white signs.


WB at a little unnamed lake in Camel's Hump State Park, then looking north and east at the Appalachian Gap between Molly Stark and Baby Stark Mountains. (The names, so cute!)

Lake Champlain Bridge Celebration, 5/19/12
Into New York on NY 185 with more bridge views

Onto VT 125
To NY 22
Onto VT 116
VT 17 Non-Roads
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