The Champlain Bridge (also known as the Crown Point Bridge) was a vehicular bridge in the United States that traversed Lake Champlain between Crown Point, New York and Chimney Point, Vermont. It was opened to traffic in 1929 as a toll bridge; the tolls were removed in 1987. The bridge was closed due to safety concerns on October 16, 2009, and was taken down by explosive demolition on December 28, 2009. It was replaced by a new bridge which opened on November 7, 2011. It was one of two bridges connecting New York and Vermont across Lake Champlain. Ferries provide connections between the states at other points along the lake. The bridge connected NY 185 in New York to VT 17 in Vermont. The half-mile, two-lane, continuous truss bridge was jointly owned and maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation and the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Description The bridge crossed Lake Champlain at a point north of Ticonderoga, New York, and south of Burlington, Vermont. It connected NY 185 in Crown Point, New York, to VT 17 in Chimney Point, Vermont. It stood at one of only two bridge sites that link New York and Vermont across the lake. The other bridge is on U.S. Route 2, spanning between Rouses Point, New York and Alburgh, Vermont, near the Canada–United States border. History Opening, repairs, and closure The bridge opened to traffic on August 26, 1929. It was one of the first continuous truss road bridges built in the nation, and exhibited characteristics of both a through truss and deck truss design. The bridge was initially tolled; however, the tolls were removed on September 22, 1987. The bridge was rehabilitated in 1991. Work performed at that time included the replacement of the deck and railings, the repainting of the steel trusses, and the repairing of the bridge piers. In 2007, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) announced formation of an advisory committee to plan the rehabilitation or replacement of the Champlain Bridge. At the time, the projected start date for the project was 2012. However, in 2009, an inspection performed on the bridge as part of the planning process revealed that two of the bridge's support piers were not structurally sound. As a result, the bridge was closed to all traffic on October 16, 2009. NYSDOT Regional Structural Engineer Thomas