On November 7, 2011, traffic resumed over Lake Champlain at the Crown Point-Chimney Point crossing after 25 months without a bridge. The new Lake Champlain Bridge restored the vital transportation link between New York and Vermont that had been severed by the 2009 closing and subsequent demolition of the National Register-listed 1929 bridge. HNTB, chosen to design the replacement, presented six alternatives in the winter of 2009-2010, and the New York Department of Transportation and the Vermont Agency of Transportation selected a modified network tied arch design. The choice strongly appealed to the public because it echoed the graceful form of the original bridge while incorporating modern features and efficiencies. Granite-armored piers protect against the shearing force of winter ice, the steel superstructure was treated to resist salt corrosion and water damage, sidewalks on both sides provide views of the lake and mountains, and ample shoulders accommodate bicycles and extra-wide farm equipment. On August 26, 2011, the bridge's central arch was transported across the lake on barges from the marina where it had been constructed, as a crowd gathered at Powerhouse Park to watch.