U.S. Route 4 in Vermont

U.S. Route 4 (US 4) in the U.S. state of Vermont extends for 66.059 miles (106.312 km) between the New York state line at Fair Haven and the New Hampshire state line at White River Junction. It is one of the main arteries between New York and New Hampshire.[3]

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 4 in Vermont. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 4.

U.S. Route 4 marker

U.S. Route 4

Leonard F. Wing Blue Star Drive[1]
US 4 highlighted in red and US 4 Bus. highlighted in blue
Route information
Maintained by VTrans
Length66.059 mi[2] (106.312 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West end US 4 at the New York state line in Fair Haven
Major intersections
East end US 4 at the New Hampshire state line in White River Jct
Location
CountryUnited States
StateVermont
CountiesRutland, Windsor
Highway system
← VT 3→ VT 4A
← Route 12AN.E.→ Route 14

Route description

Upon crossing into Vermont from New York, US 4 immediately expands from a two-lane highway to a four-lane expressway. US 4 changes from being signed north–south (in New York) to being signed east–west (in Vermont). The historic routing of US 4 runs nearby as Vermont Route 4A (VT 4A), which later becomes US 4 Business (US 4 Bus.) as it enters the town of Rutland.

The 19-mile (31 km) US 4 expressway was built in anticipation of the proposed, but never built, East–West Highway which was supposed to link the population centers of northern New England. As such, this section of freeway meets Interstate Highway standards. The freeway has junctions with VT 22A in Fair Haven and VT 30 in Castleton. In West Rutland, the last numbered exit on the highway, exit 6, leads to US 4 Bus., which provides access to West Rutland and Center Rutland. The expressway veers south just outside of Rutland, ending at an at-grade intersection with US 7 south of the city.[4]

West junction with VT 12 in the center of Woodstock

US 4 overlaps with US 7 north into downtown Rutland, meeting the east end of its business route along the way. US 4 then leaves US 7 along Woodstock Avenue as it heads northeast out of the city. East of Rutland, US 4 is a two-lane highway, meandering through the Green Mountains and passing by the towns of Mendon and Killington. In Killington, US 4 joins VT 100 as they pass through Killington along the Ottauquechee River valley until reaching West Bridgewater. VT 100 splits off to the south while US 4 continues following the Ottauquechee River east through Bridgewater center into the town of Woodstock. Several miles later, US 4 enters the incorporated village of Woodstock, where it meets VT 12 and VT 106. Southbound VT 12 and eastbound US 4 overlap for about four miles (6.4 km) along the river and split in the Taftsville Historic District, in the northwest corner of the town of Hartland.[5]

US 4 continues following the Ottauquechee River into Quechee, passing through the Quechee State Park and circling south of Deweys Pond to cross the river on the Quechee Gorge Bridge, before heading north to the south bank of the White River. Here, US 4 has an interchange with Interstate 89 (I-89), then turns eastward following the river bank into the village of White River Junction. In the village, US 4 joins US 5 as they cross the White River. At a four-way intersection immediately after the crossing, US 5 continues north, VT 14 begins to the west, and US 4 continues to the east. US 4 crosses the New Hampshire state line at the Connecticut River after a quarter of a mile (0.40 km).[6]

History

The road running from the New York state line (toward Whitehall, New York) at Fair Haven eastward through Rutland and Woodstock to White River Junction was designated as Route 13 of the New England road marking system in 1922.[7][8] In late 1926, Route 13 was incorporated into the newly established U.S. Numbered Highway System as US 4.[9] In the 1960s, construction of the 19-mile (31 km) expressway section of US 4 began. The middle segment of the expressway from exit 5 in Castleton to exit 6 in West Rutland opened to traffic in 1969. Two years later, the western segment from the New York line in Fair Haven to exit 5 also opened. The original surface alignment of US 4 was redesignated as VT 4A. The construction of the eastern segment (from exit 6 to the intersection with US 7) was delayed for several years and did not open to traffic until 1986.[10] The original surface alignment east of exit 6 was redesignated as US 4 Bus.

Future
Main article: East–West Highway (New England)

There have been calls for construction of an east–west interstate freeway in New England.

Future Interstate 92 marker

Future Interstate 92

LocationAlbany, NY–Portsmouth, NH or
Glens Falls, NY–Calais, ME

Northern New England is served by three north–south freeways radiating generally northwards from Boston, Massachusetts—from east to west, I-95, I-93, and US 3, all coming from or through Greater Boston; and westernmost of all, by I-91, which follows the Connecticut River. However, the northernmost complete east–west freeway existing within the region, I-90, does not enter northern New England. Continuous east–west freeway travel through (and within) northern New England is presently accomplished by three segments, only one of which is truly east–west.

There are a handful of alternate east–west roadways, including US 2 between Montpelier, Vermont, and Bangor, Maine; US 302 between Montpelier and Portland, US 4 from the New York–Vermont border to Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and VT 9/New Hampshire Route 9 between Bennington, Vermont, and the Concord, New Hampshire, area. These alternatives are mostly not limited access or designed for higher speed travel.

Major intersections
CountyLocationmi[2]kmExitDestinationsNotes
RutlandFair Haven0.0000.000
 US 4 south – Whitehall		Continuation into New York
0.1500.2411 VT 4A (Prospect Street) – Vermont Welcome Center, Weigh StationExit 1 not signed eastbound, at-grade intersection with jughandle on westbound side, western terminus of VT 4A
1.6762.6972 VT 22A – Fair Haven, Vergennes
2.5734.1413
 To VT 4A – Fair Haven		Via Dutton Avenue; Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Castleton5.4498.7695 VT 30 – Castleton, Middleburyold exit 4
7.75812.4857
 To VT 4A – Castleton		To Castleton State College; old exit 5
West Rutland14.89923.97814



 US 4 Bus. east to VT 3 / VT 4A – West Rutland, Rutland Business District		Western terminus of US 4 Business, eastern terminus of VT 4A; old exit 6
Town of Rutland18.82930.302
 US 7 south – Manchester		Eastern end of freeway section; western end of concurrency with US 7
City of Rutland20.92933.682

 US 4 Bus. west		Eastern terminus of US 4 Business
21.06633.902
 US 7 north (North Main Street)		Eastern end of concurrency with US 7
Killington31.59350.844
 VT 100 north – Pittsfield, Waterbury		Western end of concurrency with VT 100
WindsorWest Bridgewater38.03061.203
 VT 100 south – Plymouth Union, Ludlow		Eastern end of concurrency with VT 100
Bridgewater43.64270.235
 VT 100A south – Plymouth, Plymouth Union		Northern terminus of VT 100A
Village of Woodstock51.624[11]83.081
 VT 106 south – South Woodstock, Springfield		Northern terminus of VT 106
51.75583.292
 VT 12 north (Pleasant Street) – Bethel		Western end of concurrency with VT 12
Hartland55.63789.539
 VT 12 south – Hartland, Windsor		Eastern end of concurrency with VT 12
Hartford62.417100.450
 I-89 to I-91 – Sharon, Barre		Exit 1 on I-89
65.261105.027


 US 5 south to I-89 / I-91 – Windsor		Western end of concurrency with US 5
White River Junction65.822105.930

 US 5 north to I-91

 VT 14 north		Eastern end of concurrency with US 5; southern terminus of VT 14
66.059106.312
 US 4 east		Continuation into New Hampshire at the Connecticut River
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Special routes
Main article: Special routes of U.S. Route 4

References
  1. State of Vermont Board of Libraries (April 28, 2008). "Vermont Named State Highways and Bridges" (PDF). Department of Libraries, State of Vermont. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  2. Traffic Research Unit (May 2013). "2012 (Route Log) AADTs for State Highways" (PDF). Policy, Planning and Intermodal Development Division, Vermont Agency of Transportation. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  3. Shinn, Peggy (January 18, 2009). Not so fast (or else) on these Vermont highways. Boston Globe.
  4. Google (June 8, 2009). "Fair Haven to Rutland" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  5. Google (June 8, 2009). "Rutland to Taftville" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  6. Google (June 8, 2009). "Taftville to White River Junction" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  7. "Motor Sign Uniformity". New York Times. April 16, 1922.
  8. Automobile Legal Association Green Book, 1925 edition, (Scarborough Motor Guide Co., Boston, 1925). The book has a route log of the New England inter-state routes showing the planned alignment in 1922.
  9. Official Automobile Blue Book, Vol. 1, 1926 and 1927 editions, (Automobile Blue Books Inc., Chicago, 1926 and 1927). The 1926 map shows routes just prior to the designation of U.S. Highways.
  10. "State Highways History – Route Listing, Exclusive of Interstates with Route Log Notes" (PDF). Vermont Agency of Transportation, Policy and Planning Division – Mapping. October 5, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
  11. Division of Policy, Planning and Intermodal Development (October 7, 2014). "Vermont General Highway Map, Village of Woodstock, Windsor County" (PDF). Vermont Agency of Transportation. Retrieved March 12, 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
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