Anthony Edwards / Staff Photo
A banner posted next to Killington Road warns drivers about road conditions and repairs.
KILLINGTON — The condition of the access
road that leads to the Killington Ski Resort has some residents and the
police chief concerned.
Most of Killington Road is owned by the town, but above the Lookout Bar & Grill, ownership shifts to the resort.
The town is making construction progress on the bottom half of the road before it gets covered in ice, but the top half still requires attention.
Sam Patel is a resident who works on the road and drives it several times a day. He said he has seen a lack of effort in the restoration process in the past couple of years.
“The town does a tremendous job attempting to keep up with their part of the road,” Patel said. “But you can tell where the town line ends and the resort begins because it suddenly gets awful.”
His job requires him to interact with tourists during all months of the year, and he said customers complain they feel unsafe driving on the road.
“Not everyone who comes up the road has four-wheel drive or knows what to look out for,” Patel said. “I know where the potholes are and I still worry about my tires bursting — winter or summer, it doesn’t matter.”
Patel said the resort just hasn’t made it a priority on their to-do list.
On Aug. 30, during the Killington Classic motorcycle event, police said a biker hit some rough road that caused him to lose control and crash.
Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery said the rider was thrown to the pavement and suffered a head trauma, among other injuries. He was airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.
“It’s not a big secret that the road needs a lot of work,” Montgomery said.
He said he was glad to see signs put up to warn drivers about the road.
Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Ski Resort and Pico Mountain, said earlier this month the original plan was to have that section of the road paved by the end of July, but delays have caused the deadline to be pushed back.
Solimano said he expects work to start before the end of the month.
Solimano also said fixing the road has become a priority for the resort and, in the meantime, parts of the road are being patched over.
The police chief said that news puts his mind a little more at ease.
“I’m happy to see the road start to get some work done,” he said.
Resort spokesman Michael Joseph said a combination of last winter’s temperature swings and the continuous traffic stream took an additional toll on the road.
“But we expect significantly improved driving conditions for the coming season,” he said.
He said throughout the delays and road work, he will keep frequent travelers to the ski area updated via social media.
bryanna.allen @rutlandherald.com
Most of Killington Road is owned by the town, but above the Lookout Bar & Grill, ownership shifts to the resort.
The town is making construction progress on the bottom half of the road before it gets covered in ice, but the top half still requires attention.
Sam Patel is a resident who works on the road and drives it several times a day. He said he has seen a lack of effort in the restoration process in the past couple of years.
“The town does a tremendous job attempting to keep up with their part of the road,” Patel said. “But you can tell where the town line ends and the resort begins because it suddenly gets awful.”
His job requires him to interact with tourists during all months of the year, and he said customers complain they feel unsafe driving on the road.
“Not everyone who comes up the road has four-wheel drive or knows what to look out for,” Patel said. “I know where the potholes are and I still worry about my tires bursting — winter or summer, it doesn’t matter.”
Patel said the resort just hasn’t made it a priority on their to-do list.
On Aug. 30, during the Killington Classic motorcycle event, police said a biker hit some rough road that caused him to lose control and crash.
Killington Police Chief Whit Montgomery said the rider was thrown to the pavement and suffered a head trauma, among other injuries. He was airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.
“It’s not a big secret that the road needs a lot of work,” Montgomery said.
He said he was glad to see signs put up to warn drivers about the road.
Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Ski Resort and Pico Mountain, said earlier this month the original plan was to have that section of the road paved by the end of July, but delays have caused the deadline to be pushed back.
Solimano said he expects work to start before the end of the month.
Solimano also said fixing the road has become a priority for the resort and, in the meantime, parts of the road are being patched over.
The police chief said that news puts his mind a little more at ease.
“I’m happy to see the road start to get some work done,” he said.
Resort spokesman Michael Joseph said a combination of last winter’s temperature swings and the continuous traffic stream took an additional toll on the road.
“But we expect significantly improved driving conditions for the coming season,” he said.
He said throughout the delays and road work, he will keep frequent travelers to the ski area updated via social media.
bryanna.allen @rutlandherald.com
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