By Kolby R. LaMarche

Main Street will officially reopen fully to vehicle and pedestrian traffic by Thanksgiving, city officials have said. The move marks the end of the 2025 construction season for the Great Streets BTV project. 

Work will pause through winter and pick up again in April 2026, with the full project wrapping up by summer 2026. 

Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak called the progress a key milestone. “The hardest parts are behind us,” she said. 

Public Works Director Chapin Spencer noted the pause will give businesses and residents a much-needed break after 21 months of disruptions.

The Great Streets BTV initiative kicked off construction in February 2024 with a $30 million budget, mostly from tax-increment financing. It covers six blocks of Main Street from Battery Street to South Union Street. 

The plan shifts the street’s focus from cars to people. Right now, 50 to 75 percent of the space goes to driving and parking. Once done, about 60 percent will support walking, biking, public art, outdoor vending, and gathering spots. 

The project connects the University of Vermont campus to the Lake Champlain waterfront, aiming to cut high vehicle traffic and create a more vibrant downtown corridor.

Crews have completed major underground work. They replaced the 150-year-old “ravine” sewer bypass between Church and South Union streets, along with trunk mains down Church to Maple. This upgrade fixes flooding risks and handles future growth. Water lines got new transmission mains, some over 100 years old, at no extra cost to property owners. 

Stormwater management features are in place to manage runoff better. On the surface, workers poured wider concrete sidewalks, including fresh pads outside spots like the now-closed Gryphon restaurant. These are intended to allow for more outdoor seating and shared public areas. 

Tree belt bases are ready for planting, and intersections such as Main-Pine and Church-Maple now have fixed sewers after weeks of closures.

Delays cropped up early due to unexpected sewer issues, pushing the first phase 10 months behind schedule by April 2025. But officials say the overall timeline is holding. 

Partial reopenings helped ease the strain. In June 2025, nights and weekends saw two-way traffic from Church to Pine streets. That boosted evening foot traffic by about 15 percent, according to business reports. 

In September, the city kept the Main-Winooski intersection open after owners pushed back against a planned two-month shutdown. What’s left for next year includes landscaping, bike lanes, benches, bike racks, and public art installations. These will enhance lake views and add spots for vendors, the city says. 

The construction hammered downtown businesses from the start, though. Full closures for months slashed foot traffic and access, with detours causing confusion and dust. 

Owners then reported sales drops of 30 to 50 percent in spring and summer 2024. 

Pushback peaked in early 2025. The Burlington Business Association led petitions and council meetings, demanding relief. 

In March, a tense city hall session drew dozens of owners who called the project a “death knell” for downtown. Kelly Devine, the association’s head, pushed for incentives like 99-cent parking meters and free Sundays. 

The outcry led to changes. City leaders toured sites with business groups and adjusted plans. Partial reopenings in June and August were direct responses. 

Still, some spots didn’t make it. Nectar’s, the iconic music venue, announced it won’t reopen after summer 2025, citing the chaos.