Aldermen express concern over ten-year transportation plan changes

MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen expressed frustration on Tuesday over changes to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s (NHDOT) draft ten-year transportation improvement plan.

Discussion arose over a communication submitted by Manchester Department of Public Works Deputy Director Owen Friend-Gray regarding the 15 projects mentioned in the current draft of the ten-year transportation plan, including a request to express concern over eight of the projects, to the New Hampshire Executive Council.

One project, titled “Manchester 16099 A&B” was of major concern as it delayed improvements at Exit 6 (Amoskeag Bridge) and Exit 7 (Front Street) to the 2032-‘34 range from the originally expected 2025-’26 time frame. Friend-Gray indicated that the project is now no longer fully funded, which could delay the project even further.

Seven other projects were concerning according to Friend-Gray. These included “Manchester 15837” (Elm Street Bridge near Gas Street), “Manchester 24206” (Amoskeag Bridge West Bound), “Manchester 24212” (Amoskeag Bridge East Bound), “Manchester 40428” (Rail Trail from South Beech Street to Elm Street), “Manchester 42886” (Roundabout near the Derryfield School), “Manchester 42509” (extending the South Manchester Rail Trail into Londonderry), and “Manchester 43730” (a multi-use path on Canal Street). According to Friend-Gray, timelines had changed

The other projects, including the RAISE Grant-related projects, were not listed as a concern by Friend-Gray.

Manchester Department of Public Works Director Tim Clougherty provided an overview of these projects of concern to the board on Tuesday, specifically calling the Manchester 16099 A/B changes “disappointing” given traffic congestion in the area.

Clougherty says that since the project was first part of the DOT ten-year-plan in 2013, other similar projects have been fully funded and $160 million was removed from Manchester 16099 A/B inexplicably.

Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig found it absurd that there are no Nashua or Manchester meetings of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT), the commission that oversees the ten-year plan that is made up of the NH DOT Commissioners and New Hampshire Executive Councillors.

“I do think that it’s crazy that there are no public comment meetings in the largest city in the state,” said Craig.

Alderman At-Large Joseph Kelly Levasseur also expressed frustration with other nearby towns getting preference from the GACIT, citing delays on a proposed roundabout on Hackett Hill. He asked that Executive Councillor Ted Gatsas be brought before the board to explain.

The board approved Friend-Gray’s letter of concern to be submitted to GACIT for their Oct. 25 meeting in Goffstown, also expressing concern over hold ups related to Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program.