Lakes to Locks Passage is set to host a public informational meeting for the Champlain Bridge Roadway Improvements Project on Thursday, July 18, 2019, from 4 to 7 pm, at the Crown Point State Historic Site Pavilion.

This is an opportunity for the public to attend an open-house style informational meeting. There will be multiple displays of project information and the draft design approval document presenting the proposed project. There will also an opportunity to provide input and written comments.

Originally called, Pointe à la Chevelure, Crown Point is located at a narrow point of Lake Champlain. French settlers established Fort Saint-Frédéric in 1731, later destroyed to keep it from falling into the hands of British. In 1759, the British built Fort Crown Point, said to have been the largest earthen British colonial fort. During the American Revolutionary War’s Saratoga Campaign in 1777, British General John Burgoyne used it as a supply depot to support the attack on Fort Ticonderoga. The Town of Crown Point was established in 1788 before the formation of Essex County, many settlers from Vermont began arriving around 1800.

The goal of the Champlain Bridge Roadway Improvements Project is to better align the roadway features with the surrounding characteristics and cultural setting. It’s hoped the project will enhance the sense of place and awareness to the environmental, cultural, and aesthetic contexts of the Crown Point State Historic Site, Crown Point Campground & Day Use Area, and the Champlain Bridge.

The existing roadway has wide shoulders and travel lane widths, and a quick transition in posted speed. The traffic calming measures, and landscaping features proposed in this project aim to integrate this portion of NYS Route 185 with the recreational and culturally sensitive surrounding area.

A report about the project is available online [pdf].

Map of Champlain Bridge Roadway Improvements provided; Crown Point Bridge over Lake Champlain by John Warren.