NH DOT outlines $3–3.5 million I‑95 median guardrail project to reduce crossover crashes

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation presented plans Monday for a median guardrail project on I‑95 that the agency said is intended to reduce vehicle crossover crashes and severe injuries on a high‑volume stretch that runs through North Hampton, Greenland and Portsmouth.

Kirk Mudger, head of the DOT specialty section that handles hydraulics and guardrail programs, told the Greenland Board of Selectmen the project would install cable‑style median guardrail roughly between mileposts 8 and 13.2 — from the Route 151 overpass area through Greenland and on to the Sherburne Road bridge in Portsmouth. "The purpose of this project ... is to reduce those crossover crashes, which in turn should reduce the potential for any severe injury crashes," Mudger said.

The presentation placed the work in context: DOT staff said the segment carries about 90,000 vehicles per day and that recent crossover crashes in February 2024 prompted a targeted, expedited effort. Mudger said the work is focused on the highest‑risk segment now, with future projects to address additional median locations on I‑95.

Mudger described three main elements: installing a long‑run cable guardrail in the project’s primary segment, updating vehicle protection at several bridge piers in the median and placing single‑sided guardrail alongside an existing earth berm in Portsmouth. He said the cable system was selected in part because it can be offset farther from the pavement and because its flexibility tends to ‘‘capture’’ vehicles and reduce rebounding into traffic compared with stiffer beam rails.

On technical standards, Mudger said the DOT is selecting systems that meet the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH, 2016) crash‑test criteria; he said only one tested system in the agency’s review met requirements for the proposed 4:1 slope placement and that DOT was evaluating currently available manufacturers and systems used by neighboring states.

Mudger gave schedule and budget estimates: the DOT is in the bidding process with an estimated construction cost of about $3 million to $3.5 million, to be paid with Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds. Bids were expected soon, with work to start in late summer; contractors would have an intermediate completion milestone of Oct. 31 to install the cable guardrail, with remaining work completed the following February, the DOT said.

The presentation also noted coordination with local emergency responders to preserve access openings in the median and design constraints at several locations (including underground conduit and existing berms). Mudger said some anchor or foundation work will require temporary excavation and that the contractor may stage or stockpile excavated material near Exit 5 southbound as part of the work.

There was no formal motion or vote at the Selectmen’s meeting; the board received the presentation and agreed to "follow along with the progress," with no action required at the session.

The DOT presenter said the agency is seeking bids this spring and emphasized the project is a phased response to crash data rather than a complete, system‑wide installation in a single contract.

What’s next: DOT said it will review bids, award a contract, and proceed with late‑summer construction if schedules allow. The Selectmen asked the DOT to keep the town informed about timing and traffic impacts so local departments can plan for construction‑period access and maintenance needs.