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NH DOT outlines Route 10 culvert replacement near Wilder Dam; construction eyed for 2027
Summary
New Hampshire DOT and CHA presented plans to replace a failing box culvert under Route 10 south of Wilder Dam, funded 80% federal/20% state, with an estimated construction cost of about $1,000,000 and an anticipated construction start in fall 2027 pending right‑of‑way and permitting.
New Hampshire Department of Transportation project manager Kirk Mudgett told the Lebanon City Council on July 1 that an existing 4‑foot-by‑3‑foot concrete box culvert beneath Route 10, about a half mile south of Wilder Dam, has reached the end of its service life and requires replacement. DOT staff and CHA designers presented site photos, hydraulics, slope‑stability concerns and three design alternatives before recommending a larger concrete box culvert that reduces scour risk and improves aquatic passage.
DOT said the culvert was chosen for replacement because of age, condition and slope stability; prior stone repairs and a partially failed headwall have reduced outlet size and increased erosion. The project will aim to maintain two‑way traffic during work via alternating one‑lane traffic controlled by temporary signals and phased construction. CHA engineer Chris Wall said the selected alternative provides a larger opening and a design life of at least 75 years, while limiting roadway work to roughly 325 feet north and south of the culvert to minimize right‑of‑way and environmental impacts.
Funding is through DOT’s culvert rehabilitation/replacement and drainage repairs program (80% federal, 20% state); no local funds are being sought, the presenters said. A preliminary construction estimate presented in the meeting was approximately $1,000,000. The current schedule shows an anticipated advertisement date of Feb. 16, 2027, with construction to begin in fall 2027; presenters cautioned that right‑of‑way, permitting or utility work could push construction into 2028.
Councilors asked about traffic control, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, shoulder width and tree impacts. Presenters said the project will increase the guardrail offset to provide a 5‑foot shoulder (2 feet paved, 3 feet gravel where guardrail is present) in the project limits and will evaluate tree impacts and mitigation during final design. Staff noted that the narrow road and steep embankments make staged, tightly constrained construction necessary.
The DOT presentation is expected to be followed by a public hearing on right‑of‑way later in the summer; councilors and staff encouraged continued coordination on multimodal safety improvements in the corridor.
