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Engineers recommend temporary weight limits for three Beaverbrook bridges; committee accepts report as informational
Summary
City engineers reported that state inspections identified critical deficiencies on three Beaverbrook bridges; consultants recommended posting weight limits while further analysis and replacement planning proceed. The MSFI committee accepted the engineer's report as informational.
City engineers informed the Municipal Services, Facilities & Infrastructure Committee that the New Hampshire Department of Transportation inspection identified critical deficiencies on three Beaverbrook bridges and that a consultant recommended posting weight limits until permanent repairs or replacements are funded.
Brian Roof, city engineer, said the biannual inspection identified George Street Bridge, Spring Street Bridge and Beaver Street Bridge over Beaverbrook as having critical deficiencies. Hoyle & Tanner conducted expedited assessments and recommended posting a weight restriction for standard passenger vehicles. Roof said the consultant's initial recommendation was an 8-ton posting in one phrasing and clarified that the recommended standard-vehicle posting the consultant delivered to the city is 10 tons; staff are confirming recommended limits for specific categories, including emergency vehicles and city vehicles.
Why it matters
Weight postings can affect routing for school buses, municipal fleet vehicles and emergency responders. Don Lussier, Public Works director, said rerouting could add minutes to emergency response times: a quick mapping estimate showed an alternative route could add roughly 5 to 8 minutes for a fire truck responding to parts of the East Side if larger vehicles must detour.
What the committee decided
The committee voted unanimously to accept the city engineer's report as informational. Staff said they are working with Hoyle & Tanner to determine precise restrictions for emergency and city vehicles and will pursue State DOT and CIP (Capital Improvement Program) inclusion for bridge replacement or major repairs.
Technical references
Roof said the assessments followed National Bridge Inspection Standards and AASHTO manuals for bridge evaluation and load-rating calculations; Hoyle & Tanner expedited a structural review and produced a load-rating recommendation in about six weeks.
Ending
Staff will post weight limits once the city's vehicle list and emergency-service impacts are confirmed and will coordinate with the state on bridge replacement funding and CIP scheduling.
