| Granite Street Widening Project |
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Location: Granite Street, Downtown Manchester
Developer: City of Manchester, NH
Lead Designer: CLD Consulting Engineers, Inc.
City Contact: Dennis Anctil, P.E., Design Engineer, Manchester Highway Division
Budget: $24 Million
Status: The NHDOT has awarded the interchange reconstruction (Exit 5) project (10622-C) to Middlesex Corporation and work is now underway. In addition to completely reconstructing the interchange and a mile of Interstate 293, the state contract will include road widening work on Granite Street from South Main St. to the western bank of the Merrimack River (Area 1 and 2).
The City's Granite Street bridge widening contract (14025-F)(Area 2)is now underway by E.D. Swett, Inc. as the General Contractor. Work on the 3 new piers will continue through the winter via a temporary work bridge that is being erected from the east bank of the River. The project will widen the bridge from four lanes to seven and is scheduled for completion in 2008. The next contract for Granite Street (14025-E) will advertise in the spring of 2006 and will include road widening and reconstruction work from Commercial Street up to Elm Street along with improvements to the railroad crossing (Area 3 and 4). That project is also expected to be completed by 2008.
Current Status Brief:
*Construction on the 14025-F (Bridge) contract is continuing by ED Swett, Inc. with efforts focusing on continuing construction of piers 2 and 3 in the river. Work on Abutment A (west) is now essentially complete and bearings are in place awaiting steel. As work is completed on the remaining piers, more steel will be set into place.
*Work on the MSE walls along the Jillians site are now essentially complete with the exception of the new staircase that will go down to the Jillians area from Granite Street. Current efforts on the east side of the river include forming for the new ornamental concrete rail and grade beam.
*Temporary pavement has been placed on the east end of the river which will serve traffic by next May when the new portion of the River bridge is opened up. For now the newly paved area is being used to store precast concrete deck panels that will ultimately be placed on the new bridge.
*Construction on the 10622-C/14025-C (west-end) contract continues with major efforts to wrap up major portions of the Granite Street widening from the river to So. Main Street. This includes setting of new curbing, concrete sidewalks and brickwork and new traffic signals that are slowly coming on-line and ornamental lights which are expected to be up and operational before winter.
*Southbound traffic on I-293 has also been shifted onto the new Interstate Bridge and after thanksgiving it is expected that all northbound and southbound traffic will be on the new bridge to allow for the winter demolition of the existing 293 bridge.
*Work on reconstructing the West-high parking lots and Second Street
(north) was completed in time for the first day of school and now being used by students.
*Reconstruction of the Exxon Station at the corner of So. Main Street is now essentially completed as they are open for business as a new Gulf station.
 |  |  | | Looking west at stacked concrete deck panels. | Looking north at new Pier 1 being formed. | Looking East to new interchange. | | Photos courtesy CLD Consulting Engineers, Inc. |
Est. Final Completion: 2008
Benefits: Improvements to downtown area including improved traffic flow, access and safety improvements. Gateway to Downtown Manchester.
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