The Sunset Lake Floating Bridge is a floating bridge that carries Vermont Route 65 across Sunset Lake in Brookfield, Vermont, United States.
Sunset Lake Floating Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Sunset Lake Floating Bridge in 2008 | |
| Coordinates | 44°02′33″N 72°36′17″W / 44.042525°N 72.604651°W |
| Carries | 1 lane of  VT 65 |
| Crosses | Sunset Lake |
| Locale | Brookfield, Vermont, United States |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Pontoon bridge |
| Total length | 318 feet (97 m)[1] |
| Design life | 100 years[1] |
| History | |
| Construction cost | $2.4M[1] |
| Opened | 1820, ?, ?, 1884, ?, 1936, 1978, 2015 |
| Replaces | previous bridge |
| Location | |
 | |
History edit
The first bridge on this site was erected in 1820.[1] It was built this way because the lake is too deep for traditional pilings. According to the Watershed Management Division of Vermont, the lake's depth can reach 120 feet.[2]
The seventh bridge was closed to traffic and torn down in 2008 for replacement due to failure of its flotation system, which was based on foam-filled barrels.[1]
The current bridge, the eighth at this location,[3] is supported by fiber-reinforced polymer pontoons.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Garbitelli, Beth. "Vermont replaces state's only floating bridge". Burlington Free Press. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
- ^ "Depth Charts of Vermont Lakes and Ponds" (PDF). Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Whatershed Management Devision. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ Rathke, Lisa. "Vermont Town's Famous Floating Bridge Reopens With Fanfare". ABC news. Associated Press. Retrieved 23 May 2015.