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Tamworth Select Board asks NH DOT to install or convert two intersections to 4-way stops
Summary
After public comment about truck routing and pedestrian markings, the Select Board voted to send two letters to NH DOT — one requesting a 4-way stop at Routes 16 and 113 with follow-up and signage caveats, and another urging conversion of a village 3-way to a 4-way while retaining the slip lane.
The Tamworth Select Board voted April 14 to ask the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to install or convert two intersections to 4‑way stops after residents raised safety concerns about speeding and tractor-trailer traffic.
Select Board member Lianne Prentice opened a public listening session where Jon Gotjen, speaking for the Chocorua Village Association and the Traffic Safety Committee, said the groups support a 4‑way intersection at Routes 113 and 16 and welcomed DOT’s commitment to “install and paint stop lines and crosswalk markings on the north and east side of the intersection.” Prentice told the board DOT estimated $1,500 annually for required paint maintenance.
Several residents said GPS routing is directing tractor‑trailers through the village. Susan Nickerson offered to pay for two “no thru trucking” signs after describing large trucks turning onto Main Street. Police leadership confirmed the town has previously asked DOT to restrict through trucking; Chief Littlefield said that request had been denied by DOT in the past.
Board member Richard Doucette moved to send a letter to DOT requesting a 4‑way stop at Routes 16 and 113 with two caveats: that DOT follow up within a year of construction and that the town work with DOT on enhanced speed limit signage. Steven Schaeffer seconded. Roll‑call vote: Doucette yes, Prentice yes, Roberts yes, Schaeffer no, Behr yes.
After further remarks about village‑scale planning and possible future engineering projects, Doucette made a second motion asking DOT to convert the 3‑way stop in Tamworth Village (near the Veterans Memorial) to a 4‑way stop while temporarily keeping the slip lane in place. Schaeffer seconded that motion; roll‑call vote: Doucette yes, Prentice no, Roberts yes, Schaeffer yes, Behr yes.
Town discussion also covered alternatives DOT had rejected or deemed impractical for the site, including roundabouts and traffic signals. Some residents asked about rumble strips to slow vehicles, but town staff said many residents oppose rumble strips because of noise. The board noted that flashing speed signs and other signage are possible where maintenance agreements exist, and that enforcement remains a key part of any traffic‑calming strategy.
The board’s two letters formalize Tamworth’s immediate requests to DOT while leaving open the possibility of larger cohesive planning projects, grants, and engineering work for the village in the future.
