Sunset Lake Floating Bridge

The Sunset Lake Floating Bridge is a floating bridge that carries Vermont Route 65 across Sunset Lake in Brookfield, Vermont, United States.

Floating bridge on Sunset Lake in Brookfield, VT

Sunset Lake Floating Bridge
Sunset Lake Floating Bridge in 2008
Coordinates	44.042525°N 72.604651°W / 44.042525; -72.604651
Carries	1 lane of VT 65
Crosses	Sunset Lake
Locale	Brookfield, Vermont, United States
Characteristics
Design	Pontoon bridge
Total length	318 feet (97 m)[1]
Design life	100 years[1]
History
Construction cost	$2.4M[1]
Opened	1820, ?, ?, 1884, ?, 1936, 1978, 2015
Replaces	previous bridge
Location

History

The first bridge on this site was erected in 1820.^[1] It was built this way because the lake is too deep for traditional pilings. According to the Watershed Management Division of Vermont, the lake's depth can reach 120 feet.^[2]

The seventh bridge was closed to traffic and torn down in 2008 for replacement due to failure of its flotation system, which was based on foam-filled barrels.^[1]

The current bridge, the eighth at this location,^[3] is supported by fiber-reinforced polymer pontoons.^[1]