Council reopens long-running Martin's Ferry Road intersection discussion; major bridge plan remains unfunded

The Hooksett Town Council on Sept. 10 revisited a long-running problem at the Martin's Ferry Road intersection, hearing from the town engineer about erosion, failing guardrail, drainage backups and a culvert that staff say would ultimately require either significant repairs or a full bridge replacement and realignment.

The discussion focused on options for short-term safety mitigation versus the large capital project some engineers and staff have proposed for years. Bruce, the town engineer, told the council the culvert at the intersection is a concrete box culvert that would require dismantling and reconstruction of the top slab to meet current standards for a bridge rail; he said a full realignment and bridge replacement had been estimated at roughly $1.6 million previously and more recently as high as $2.8 million; staff now estimate the project could cost about $3 million. Councilors noted the town voted down similar warrant-article proposals twice in recent years.

Bruce and public works staff said the town previously completed an erosion-control repair project (design and work) for about $134,000 and that the repairs have held up. The immediate safety concern is a series of collisions that continually strike the guardrail at the southeast corner of the intersection; outside contractors told staff a "bridge rail" design by a structural/bridge engineer is required to install a compliant rail at that location.

Councilors discussed a range of responses: seek targeted design work, pursue smaller "Band-Aid" repairs to stabilize the slope and guardrail, enforce existing no-through-truck restrictions to reduce large vehicles cutting the…