New Hampshire drivers will face major construction this summer

Yahoo

24-05-2025

From Nashua to Manchester to the major routes bringing vacationers and tourists to their favorite destinations, drivers will have to navigate a busy summer of road construction throughout New Hampshire.
This summer, an estimated 38 million to 39 million vehicles will pass through tolls during the 14-week period from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Tourism is the second-largest industry in the state and on Thursday, the state tourism office shared its projection of 4.6 million travelers visiting the Granite State this summer.
Now add up to 80 state highway projects that could continue, finish or start during that time, and drivers will definitely want to check for construction before they hit the road.
To get a full list of state highway projects, visit dot.nh.gov/active-work-zone-information. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation urges drivers to use New England 511 (newengland511.org) for daily updates on traffic, construction and crashes.
But before we dive into the summer fun, here's some good news: There will be no highway construction this Memorial Day weekend through early Tuesday morning, said Jennifer Lane, chief communications officer for the NHDOT. The Hooksett tolls project on Interstate 93 was completed earlier this month, and major construction on the F.E. Everett Turnpike will have a short pause for the holiday. However, any highway lanes already closed for construction will remain closed.
'Several long-term projects will remain in place with lane shifts or reduced lanes, such as the Cocheco River Bridge work on the Spaulding Turnpike in Dover and ongoing construction on I-89 in Sutton. On the Seacoast, we're making progress on the Hampton River Bridge on Route 1A in Seabrook, where we're working carefully within in-water environmental restrictions. Work is also continuing on the F.E. Everett Turnpike through Nashua and Merrimack, and at Exit 4A on I-93,' Lane said in an email.
Work on the guardrail project on Interstate 293 is wrapping up ahead of schedule, which could fast-track drivers coming up the Everett Turnpike on their way north.
'Crews worked hard to finish the bulk of it before Memorial Day weekend. Only minor punch list items remain,' she said.
After Memorial Day, construction will really take off.
Active projects
What exactly is an 'active' highway construction project? The state lists everything from construction company bidding to when work is fully closed out. These jobs could start, stop or continue throughout the summer. More than half of the state's 80 active projects are scheduled to end this year, but nearly 30 don't have an official start date yet.
The combined price tag for all of the active state projects is more than $782 million. And that's not counting roads maintained by cities and towns.
Southern New Hampshire
In the southern part of the state, construction on the Everett Turnpike in Nashua, Merrimack and Bedford will continue. Three phases of that project are currently under construction at a combined price of $76 million to widen the road to three lanes, and build new bridges.
A project at the end of that widening will cost nearly $16 million to install overhead E-ZPass sensors at the Bedford toll plaza and replace the concrete tollbooths with all-electronic tolling. The first phase of the tollbooth work started this spring and is expected to last into mid-June.
The toll project as a whole is slated for completion in September 2027 and the work to widen the Everett Turnpike will last until mid-2028 with staggered end dates for each phase.
Current work related to the new Exit 4A on I-93 in Derry and Londonderry will cost about $76.5 million, and Folsom Road in Derry will be widened from two lanes to up to seven lanes (turning lanes included) at points. Folsom Road work is expected to last until June 2028.
Resurfacing projects are planned for Routes 101, 102 and 128 in Amherst, Bedford, Londonderry and Pelham.
Manchester-area highways
The state has several paving projects planned for the Manchester area, including work on Route 101 in Auburn and Candia that hasn't begun yet.
There will also be a continuation of bridge work at a cost of $10 million on I-93 north in Manchester and Hooksett this summer.
Seacoast and Route 16
As Lane mentioned, major work on the Spaulding Turnpike (aka Route 16) will be ongoing in Dover. Three projects for a combined $47 million will upgrade pavement, a toll plaza and replace a bridge. Route 16 is a major route from I-95 (and drivers from Maine and Massachusetts) to go north toward the east side of the Lakes Region and all the way up to North Conway, areas with major tourist attractions.
The Spaulding Turnpike will also be repaved in Newington and Portsmouth. A $107.5 million project on New Hampshire Route 1A in Seabrook and Hampton will replace a bridge. That work has already started and will last through June of 2028, state officials said.
City road projects
The state's two biggest cities, Manchester and Nashua, will both be busy repaving roads, filling cracks and fixing infrastructure in several areas.
Nashua posts updates every Friday on its Department of Public Works Facebook page at facebook.com/NashuaDPW. Nashua is in Year 8 of a 10-year paving project that has improved local roads and this summer will be another busy one, officials said.
A complete list of road projects for Nashua is available by clicking 2025 Paving List on nashuanh.gov/386/Public-Works-Division.
Manchester also has several projects planned for the summer, including a continuation of the work on the Amoskeag Bridge, which will last through late 2026.
Manchester pushes out information on road work on message boards in the city, social media and Nixle.
For up-to-date bulletins from Manchester, visit manchesternh.gov/Departments/Public-Works or their Facebook page at facebook.com/CityofManchesterNHPublicWorks.
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