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GET BACK TO WORK...AND MAYBE DO A LITTLE SHOPPING AFTER THE HOLIDAYS. FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS... <03:59:09 WE CARRY ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT FIRE PLACES, INSERTS, STOVES > BLAZING DESIGN HAS BEEN WELCOMING CUSTOMERS TO ITS SHOWROOM ON SHUNPIKE ROAD IN WILLISTON... <01:27:05 IT'S A GREAT AREA. WE'RE CLOSE TO OTHER LIKE- BUSINESSES. IT'S JUST BEEN GREAT > BUT OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, GETTING TO THE SHOWROOM HASN'T NECESSARILY BEEN EASY... <02:49:00 I KNOW THAT IT'S REALLY INCONVENIENT FOR SOME PEOPLE. > THAT'S BECAUSE THE NEARBY BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS WILLISTON TO SOUTH BURLINGTON HAS BEEN CLOSED...EVER SINCE IT WAS DAMAGED DURING THE HALLOWEEN STORM... THE CITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON SAYS THE CLOSURE RE- ROUTING CLOSE TO 10-THOUSAND DRIVERS...EVERY DAY. <01:09:14 WHAT WE HAVE FOUND OUT OVER THESE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IS JUST HOW IMPORTANT OF A ROAD SEGMENT THIS IS> WHICH IS WHY IT WAS PUT ON THE FAST TRACK TO GET FIXED, ONCE THE STATE ISSUED AN EMERGENCY RELIEF DECLARATION... PAYING FOR THE $300-THOUSAND DOLLAR CULVERT REPAIR... <02:47:29 SO CREDIT TO THE STATE OF VERMONT AND THEIR STAFF FOR HELPING US GET TO THIS POINT > TWO MONTHS TO THE áDAY THAT THE BRIDGE WAS DECLARED UNSAFE... STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS... CONDUCTING A FINAL INSPECTION OF THE REPAIRS... <38:21 AS OF THIS POINT, WE HAVE CONCLUDED THE BRIDGE IS SAFE TO RE- OPEN> < NATS / CAR DRIVING OVER RE-OPENED BRIDGE > <COVER WITH VIDEO OF CARS DRIVING 04:52:27 IT'S GREAT NEWS. AND I THINK WHEN PEOPLE START RETURNING TO WORK HERE THURSDAY OR NEXT WEEK THEY CAN HAVE THEIR REGULAR LIVES AND COMMUTES BACK WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING> IT'S IMPORTANT FOR SUEANN VAN BUREN'S BUSINESS

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For the past several years, Blazing Design has been welcoming customers to its showroom on Shunpike Road in Williston."It's a great area. We're close to other like-businesses. It's just been great," said co-owner Sueann Van Buren.But over the past two months getting to the showroom wasn't necessarily easy because the nearby bridge that connects Williston to South Burlington was closed after being damaged during the Halloween storm.The city of South Burlington said the closure rerouted close to 10,000 drivers each day. "What we have found out over these past couple of months is just how important of a road segment this is," said South Burlington Public Works director Justin Rabideaux.That's why the bridge was put on the fast track to get fixed once the state issued an emergency relief declaration, paying for the $300,000 culvert repair."(I give) credit to the state of Vermont and their staff for helping us get to this point," said Rabideaux.Two months to the day that the bridge was declared unsafe, state and federal officials conducted a final inspection of the repairs."As of this point, we have concluded the bridge is safe to reopen," said Rabideaux. "It's great news. I think when people start returning to work Thursday or next week, they can have their regular lives and commutes back, which is the most important thing."The bridge reopening is important for Blazing Design's business."I think that people will be happy that they don't have to (take a detour)," said Van Buren.Having the bridge open makes it easier for customers to get to her shop.