VTrans on Rt. 100 in Duxbury: Help is on the way

March 23, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti

The heavily traveled stretch of Vermont Route 100 in Duxbury between Crossett Brook Middle School and the Vermont 100B intersection has numerous frost heaves and depressed repaired sections that are rattling motorists. Photo by Gordon Miller

The Vermont Agency of Transportation has a message for residents of South Duxbury, students and teachers headed to and from Harwood Union High School, and commuters to and from the Mad River Valley: Help is on the way. 

Repairs to the multiple sunken patches across Vermont Route 100 that have motorists rattled are at the top of the road-work list as soon as asphalt plants open for the spring. 

That’s according to Greg Smith, the agency’s district transportation administrator based in Berlin. Reached last week, Smith said VTrans highway officials are very aware of the poor condition of Rt. 100 between Crossett Brook Middle School and the Rt. 100B intersection.

“We plan to get out there in April,” he said. “It’s one of our highest priorities as soon as the asphalt plants open up.” 

New signs recently were posted calling attention to “Frost Heaves” in a number of spots, but the agency’s sign terminology doesn’t exactly fit the circumstances. 

A conversation on a Facebook page usually focused on the uniquely challenging driving across Roxbury Gap diverted recently asking readers about the “frost heaves” on Rt. 100 in Duxbury. Multiple replies corrected the description to “craters” rather than heaves with one adding, “chasms, not craters,” and “Roller-coaster ride!” from another.  

Waterbury Roundabout checked in with Danial Sargeant who manages the First Student school bus barn at Harwood. Sergeant drives regularly and has worked with school officials to juggle routes recently for springtime conditions, mainly on the district’s many miles of gravel roads. 

Rt. 100, however, presents some unavoidable challenges. “The jury is still out on this topic,” Sergeant said. “As a bus driver, the ‘frost heaves’ in Route 100 are a particularly horrific experience to any of us not expecting as severe a dip as what is there now. Students on the other hand mostly enjoy the ride – especially in the back of the bus where the bump is felt most. We will be very grateful when the dips are taken care of.”

Frost heaves typical for this time of year combine with sunken, patched sections for drivers to navigate. Photo by Gordon Miller

Heaves are usually bumpy areas where pavement is elevated due to freeze-thaw cycles as late-winter temperatures gradually begin to thaw frozen ground underneath the road surfaces. 

“The freeze-thaw has been terrible this year. You see it driving all over the state,” Smith said.

This year, this stretch of Rt. 100 is in particularly rough shape due to multiple locations where washouts occurred during the July flash floods last year and repairs followed.

Shoulders and culverts took a beating and a key bridge over Dowsville Brook even was left impassable. For weeks last summer, crews worked along the busy stretch of the state highway making repairs in about six or so different spots. 

Smith said since those fixes were buttoned up, however, more settling occurred than expected. “It’s hard to tell why,” Smith said, explaining that before the asphalt layer was put down over the new culverts and fixes, the material was compacted to usual standards. 

In many of the patched areas now, the roadway has developed a dip substantially lower than the travel lanes on either side. Smith noted that signs are posted to alert drivers. But the reality is a situation where drivers need to remain alert and manage their speed – in some cases slowing down to below the posted speed limit – so as not to hit the dips too hard. 

The result has been a somewhat stressful ride lately for many – some finding out the hard way they need to take extra care, while others keep a wary eye on the rear-view mirror checking if vehicles behind them aren’t getting too close as they proceed with caution. 

Detail: A patched culvert repair just south of the Crossett Hill intersection is about six inches lower than the road. Photo by Gordon Miller

Some admit to avoiding the stretch entirely and taking Rt. 100B. “It barely takes any longer when you factor in how much you have to slow down for each frost heave,” one Facebook commenter noted.

Smith explained that during the winter months, VTrans has the ability to create hot-mix asphalt using reclaimed material it saves from prior jobs. Small batches can be made for minor patching jobs, but the Duxbury Rt. 100 work will require far more. Each of the locations will likely use about a half-truckload of fresh asphalt, Smith guessed. 

For now, Smith’s message to the public is to know that VTrans is aware of the inconvenience and the potential safety issues the current conditions present. With road construction season ramping up very soon, crews will make the Duxbury Rt. 100 a top priority.

“It’s on our radar to tackle that as soon as we can,” he said. “That stretch is going to get plenty of attention.”