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Hooksett council records support for Route 3A, Hackett Hill intersection design amid funding concerns
Summary
Hooksett town engineers and a DOT consultant told the Town Council that both Route 3A/Main Street and the Hackett Hill intersections need to be improved together, and the council voted to record its support for the design as presented.
Hooksett town engineers and a DOT consultant urged the Town Council to hold its design for improvements at the two Route 3A intersections and press the state to keep both projects in a single construction effort. The town engineer, Bruce Thomas, told the council the state has asked whether a smaller-footprint design or funding for only one intersection would be acceptable; staff stressed that completing both intersections together is necessary to avoid shifting congestion from one location to another.
The council heard that the town’s engineering study and updated estimate put construction costs for the two intersections in the roughly $10 million range; the consultant, Jean McCarthy of McFarlane Johnson, said the state’s estimate-review process will examine design year performance, compact alternatives, and roundabout-versus-signal tradeoffs. Thomas and McCarthy told the council the project has strong public support in Hooksett and that the town had followed the state project-development process and multiple public outreach events.
The council discussed the project’s funding structure — an estimated 80% federal, 10% state and 10% town share under the current programming — and how inflation and program funding pressure may force the state to prioritize work. The town’s staff emphasized the town would not bond for a project until incremental tax revenue or other offsets were confirmed for the projects slated in the TIF/district investment program.
After discussion, a motion was made and seconded for the council “to continue with the current course of the design” for both intersections and to record the council’s support for the plan as presented. The body conducted a voice vote and the motion passed. The council also asked staff to update members after the state’s estimate-review committee meeting scheduled for August 22 and the town’s coordination meeting beforehand.
Why it matters: Route 3A and Hackett Hill are major gateways that currently experience congestion and safety issues at close-proximity intersections. The council’s formal support signals to NHDOT the town’s preference to construct both intersections together and to resist scaled-back alternatives that would leave capacity or safety problems unresolved.
