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N.H. DOT official Kirk Mudder outlines I‑95 median guardrail project to Greenland Board of Selectmen
Summary
New Hampshire DOT engineers presented a staged I‑95 median guardrail project covering Northampton through Greenland to Portsmouth aimed at cutting crossover crashes; officials estimated a $3–3.5 million price tag paid by HSIP, with bidding underway and initial cable guardrail work to be substantially complete by Oct. 31, 2025.
Kirk Mudder, the DOT project lead, told the Greenland Board of Selectmen on May 19 that the New Hampshire Department of Transportation plans to install median guardrail on I‑95 from approximately Market 8 to Market 13.2, a stretch that runs through Northampton, Greenland and into Portsmouth. Mudder said the corridor carries about 90,000 vehicles per day and that the work is intended to address "those most recent 2,024 crossover crashes."
The project will be staged. Mudder said DOT intends to install cable guardrail for the first roughly four miles, add pier protection at four bridge locations, and install single‑sided W‑beam alongside an approximately 4‑foot earth berm in a curve near Portsmouth. He described cable systems as having more deflection and energy absorption than stiffer beam systems and said that, on this high‑volume road, the cable approach reduces the risk of vehicles ricocheting back into traffic. "The cable absorbs some of the energy slowly and then kind of a slow bounce back," Mudder said. He also described concrete post foundations with replaceable sleeves to simplify repairs and short runs of W‑beam to protect cable anchors.
DOT staff said they were evaluating systems that meet the 2016 edition of MASH (Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware) and noted supply and testing history for available systems. Mudder said the department is estimating the project work at "3 to 3 and a half million," to be paid for by the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). He added that the department coordinated with state and town emergency responders to keep access openings for emergency vehicles and that some additional cost was incurred to preserve those openings.
On schedule, Mudder said DOT is in the bidding phase, expects contractors to begin late summer, and has an intermediate contract completion date of Oct. 31 for the initial cable guardrail segments, with follow‑up work measured into 2026. He described a planned temporary (or permanent, as needed) stockpile area at the Exit 5 southbound off‑ramp for dirt from berm adjustments and noted constraints in Portsmouth where underground lighting conduit required design accommodations.
Board members thanked the DOT presenters for the thorough review and asked about the project’s scope and timeline. One Selectman noted the rapid attention to the corridor after a series of recent crashes and thanked DOT staff for the expedited study and response. The Board did not take a formal vote on the project at the meeting; DOT officials said they expect bids next week and will return with contract pricing as bidding concludes.
