By Kolby LaMarche

Dozens of runners in Burlington ran a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sprint, jog, and walk along a new stretch of roadway that will soon open, a process now over 50 years old. 

The “Parkway Mile” race on Sunday  offered the public its first — and likely only — opportunity to experience the Champlain Parkway on foot before vehicles take over.

The out-and-back one-mile course started and finished near the intersection with Home Avenue. Organizers from RunVermont capped registration at around 400-500 participants, who raced in waves based on expected pace. 

Families, Burlington High School alumni, and longtime residents turned out to celebrate what many described as a historic moment for the city’s South End.

All proceeds from the event benefited the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS), which supports housing and services for homeless Vermonters. RunVermont organizers noted that closing the road for future races would be impractical once full traffic begins, making this a truly unique community preview.

City officials have confirmed the long-awaited opening schedule. The outbound side of the Champlain Parkway, heading toward Interstate 189, is expected to open to traffic mid-morning on Monday, June 29. Inbound lanes toward Burlington will follow the next day, Tuesday, June 30.

 The Burlington City Council voted 9-3 earlier in June to allow the Department of Public Works to open the roadway as soon as construction is complete, waiving a planned three-month traffic signal testing period to avoid further delays. Final touches, including signage, striping, and landscaping, are wrapping up this week.

The 2.8-mile, two-lane roadway at a 25 mph design speed connects I-189 and Shelburne Street (Route 7) to the South End and downtown Burlington. It includes significant pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, buried utilities, stormwater improvements, and raised intersections to blend into the neighborhood context.

The Champlain Parkway — originally known as the Southern Connector — was first conceptualized in the 1960s as part of broader plans for a Burlington Belt Line. 

A 1965 Vermont State Department of Highways study recommended a four-lane freeway running the length of the city, but local consensus quickly deemed the full beltway too disruptive. Planners narrowed focus to improving southern access to the central business district.

Construction on early segments, including the C-1 section from I-189 to Home Avenue, advanced in the late 1980s but was never opened to traffic. Major delays stemmed from the discovery of contamination at the Pine Street Barge Canal Superfund Site. Coal gasification waste and other pollutants from historic industrial use raised serious environmental concerns, triggering extensive EPA oversight and remediation planning.

The project faced repeated environmental reviews, lawsuits, and design changes over the following decades. 

In the 1990s, the city rebranded it as the Champlain Parkway and shifted toward a scaled-down, neighborhood-friendly design. A 1997 Record of Decision approved an interim alternative bypassing the most contaminated areas, routing traffic via Lakeside Avenue and Pine Street improvements.

Further Supplemental Environmental Impact Statements were required in the 2000s. The project evolved from a four-lane arterial to a two-lane, multimodal corridor with slower speeds and enhanced safety features. 

Legal challenges under Act 250 and concerns over environmental justice, traffic impacts on low-income and minority neighborhoods, wetlands, and Englesby Brook persisted into the 2010s.

Opponents, including groups like the Pine Street Coalition, argued that updated studies were needed and that the road would increase noise, pollution, and safety risks in the South End while potentially harming wildlife and community character.

Supporters emphasized relief for congested neighborhood streets like Pine and Shelburne, better access for businesses and residents, and long-overdue economic benefits.

After years of additional environmental clearances, right-of-way acquisitions, and funding agreements between the City of Burlington, VTrans, and the Federal Highway Administration, construction on the modern phase gained momentum. 

An initial contract awarded in 2022 focused on segments from Home Avenue to Lakeside Avenue and Pine Street upgrades. A final contract in 2024-2025 completed the critical connection from I-189 to Home Avenue.

Total costs have exceeded initial projections, with significant federal, state, and local contributions. Earlier segments sat unused for decades, becoming a symbol of Vermont’s sometimes tortuous infrastructure process — what some residents half-jokingly called the “road to nowhere.”

As opening day approaches, reactions remain mixed. Many in the business community and drivers frustrated by South End congestion welcome the change. The parkway is expected to alleviate pressure on local streets, improve circulation, and support growth in the area.

Neighborhood advocates continue to voice concerns about increased cut-through traffic on side streets, potential impacts on the King/Maple area, pedestrian safety, and whether the design fully mitigates stormwater and environmental risks identified decades ago. City officials say ongoing monitoring and traffic calming measures will address these issues.

The project also includes upgrades to railroad crossings, shared-use paths, and streetscape enhancements along Pine Street between Lakeside and Main.