Vermont Route22A (VT22A) is a state highway in western Vermont, United States. It is the northward continuation of New York State Route 22A. Its southern end is at the New York state line in Fair Haven and its northern end is in Ferrisburgh at U.S. Route 7 (US7). As it is an extension of NY22A, VT22A is a spur route of NY 22, which runs roughly parallel to VT22A west of the state border. This is a rather unusual case of one state having a suffixed route of another state's primary route. Vermont does not currently have a "Route22."

All of VT22A north of Fair Haven was originally designated as Route30A, a highway in the New England road marking system, in 1922. Route30A was added to the Vermont state highway system in 1935 as Vermont Route30A. An extension south to the New York state line was added to the route later in the decade. VT30A was renumbered to VT22A on December19, 1945 when New York renumbered the continuation across the state line.

Route description

VT22A begins at the New YorkVermont state line in the town of Fair Haven. A northern continuation of NY 22A, VT22A continues north of the Poultney River as South Main Street, crossing through Fair Haven as a two-lane rural road. North of Cemetery Street, the route enters the center of Fair Haven, crossing tracks used by Amtrak for their Ethan Allen Express and passing west of the site of the Fair Haven station. Just north of the tracks, VT22A meets VT 4A (Prospect Street), which becomes concurrent, running north through the commercial center of Fair Haven. Just north of Maple Street, VT22A and VT4A reach North Main Street, which VT4A continues north on, while VT22A turns west onto North Park Place.

Crossing northwest through Fair Haven, VT22A crosses past multiple residential streets along Washington Street, soon leaving the center of Fair Haven and entering exit2 of US 4. Continuing northwest out of downtown Fair Haven, VT22A retains the Washington Street moniker through Fair Haven, approaching the New York state line once again, however it bends north less than east of the Poultney River. VT22A then crosses into the town of West Haven, where VT22A becomes a two-lane rural roadway, passing a local oval racetrack as it crosses into the town of Benson. The route crosses the Hubbardton River and begins paralleling the river northward into the center of Benson. Just north of the center, VT22A reaches a junction with the western terminus of VT 144, which forks to the northeast along the Hubbardton River. VT22A runs northwest, bending north and weaving to the Rutland County line, crossing into Addison County. North of the county line, VT22A enters the town of Orwell, crossing through more rural areas in Addison County, crossing a junction with VT 73 (Main Street) as it bypasses downtown Orwell. VT73 curves north just west of VT22A and as a result, the routes parallel northward through Orwell before VT73 turns west towards the New York state line. VT22A continues north through Orwell, passing multiple farms on its way up.

A short distance later, VT22A crosses into the town of Shoreham, crossing straight north into the center of the town, meeting a junction with VT 74 (Main Street). VT74 and VT22A are concurrent for a short distance before VT74 turns to the northeast north of downtown Shoreham. VT22A continues winding through rural Addison County, crossing into the town of Bridport just south of North Cream Hill Road. The route passes through more farms as it winds northward, soon reaching the commercial center of Bridport. In the center, VT22A reaches a junction with VT 125, which becomes concurrent through Bridport. VT125 turns west a short distance after the commercial center, running west to the Champlain Bridge and VT 17. VT22A continues north through the town of Bridport, passing multiple farms once again, and reaching Town Line Road, where it crosses into Addison. The scenery around VT22A does not change much in Addison, running northeast and soon northwest as it passes multiple residences in the area. VT22A straightens to the north, reaching the center of Addison, and the junction with VT17. North of VT17, the route bends northeast, passing multiple residences on both directions. The route soon crosses into Panton, crossing northeast past more homes and soon reaching the village of Vergennes. Through Vergennes, VT22A becomes known as West Main Street, passing Prospect Street on its way northeast. Just after Canal Street, the route crosses the Otter Creek and enters the center of Vergennes.

Now known as Main Street, VT22A crosses through the center of Vergennes as a two-lane street, reaching a junction with Green Street, which connects to US 7 via New Haven Road. VT22A turns northeast further, crossing past residences as North Main Street, making a large curve around railroad tracks as it leaves the village of Vergennes and reaches the town of Ferrisburgh right after the tracks. Now in Ferrisburgh, VT22A reaches a junction itself with US7, marking the northern terminus of VT22A, whose right-of-way ends at the junction.

History

The portion of modern VT22A from VT 4A in Fair Haven to Green Street in Vergennes was originally designated as Route30A, a highway in the New England road marking system, in 1922. All of Route30A was added to the Vermont state highway system as part of the 1935 state highway system expansion. It was initially designated VT30A. A highway connecting VT30A to New York State Route 286 at the New York state line was added to the state highway system in 1939 and designated VT286. New York renumbered NY286 to NY 22A on December19, 1945 as part of a bi-state agreement between Vermont and New York to create a single designation. Vermont replaced VT30A and VT286 with VT22A.

Major intersections

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