Aldermanic committee recommends dangerous street become one-way only

MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Tuesday, the Manchester Board of Manchester and Aldermen Committee on Public Safety recommended making Sheffield Road a one-way from heading southwest from South Willow Street to Harvey Road, citing safety concerns.

Manchester Department of Public Works Deputy Director Owen Friend-Gray came before the committee on Sept. 5 with three options regarding that stretch of Sheffield Road to address what was described as a significant number of accidents near the intersection of Sheffield Road and South Willow Street.

When pressed, Friend-Gray said the one-way option would provide the most safety benefits, although it could provide difficulty for trucks turning into Sheffield Road due to the geometry of the South Willow/Sheffield intersection. The other options, making most of Sheffield a one-way street until entrance into the Nouria Gas Station near the Sheffield/Harvey intersection and making Sheffield two-way for local traffic but one-way for through traffic were seen as difficult to enforce and infeasible for trucks needing to turn around on Sheffield Road.

If approved by the full Board of Mayor and Aldermen, cars and trucks needing to drive eastbound on the .3 mile stretch of Sheffield Road would instead have to drive .5 miles north on Harvey Road to South Willow Street and take a right-hand turn, followed by another right-hand turn .3 miles later at the intersection of South Willow and Sheffield.

Representatives of Nouria submitted a letter indicating their opposition to the proposal, stating that two-way traffic on Sheffield was vital to their business.

Due to a lack of time on Sept. 5, the item was tabled until Tuesday when Department of Public Works Director Tim Clougherty was on hand to answer any further questions from the board.

Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long asked about the cost, which Clougherty described as minimal, stating it would only take new signage and labor. Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry asked how soon it could be implemented, with Clougherty saying it could be done in a matter of weeks.

Ward 6 Alderman Crissy Kantor asked if this would cause confusion, with Long stating that it might at first, but drivers would acclimate, citing recent one-way signs on Central Street.

Ward 8 Alderman Ed Sapienza indicated that he had heard numerous complaints from constituents in the area, ranging from some business owners who disagreed with the idea but understood why it was needed to employees at Pro-Image Automotive at the corner of Sheffield and South Willow, who feared that they could become involved in the next accident at the intersection.

Sapienza could not cite how many accidents had occurred at the Sheffield/South Willow intersection, only that his constituents in the area told him that they were numerous and they could not wait another two years until the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s planned improvements to South Willow Street in the area, as that portion of South Willow Street is a state-maintained road.

Ward 2 Alderman Will Stewart made a motion to recommend the proposal, which now goes to the full Board of Mayor and Aldermen for review.

UPDATE: 10/17/23 – Alderman At-Large Joseph Kelly Levasseur expressed concern about moving forward prior to state review given that portion of South Willow Street is a state road. However, it was noted that Sheffield Road is a city road and Sapienza reiterated that it is a dangerous intersection and that the changes are part of the state plan, but it may take several years.

Ward 12 Alderman Erin George-Kelly said that the proposals can be revisited later if needed.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the temporary change of the street to one-way status with a public hearing to be scheduled in the future. Mayor Joyce Craig thought it would just be a hearing and not a temporary change. Craig asked for a re-vote to avoid any confusion. The motion was approved again, but it was not unanimous.