The Vermont Supreme Court ruled today that several companies along busy U.S. Route 7 south of Burlington cannot recover business losses from the state.
The companies claimed they lost business when the highway was redesigned during a reconstruction project.
Five different property owners along Shelburne Road sued when the state installed a raised median between the northbound and southbound lanes.
They argued that they lost business because traffic could no longer make left turns directly into their properties. Traffic had to make U-turns to get into some businesses.
The Supreme Court says state law allows businesses to be compensated only if their losses are directly related the state taking land for the highway.
The court says that wasn’t the case with the five businesses.