Project Overview
Project
History
This
portion of I-93 has been and continues to be studied:
In
1992 the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT)
conducted a feasibility study of the corridor where extensive
highway improvements were proposed. The results of this
study were not well received by the surrounding communities.
Additionally,
Exit 13 in Concord was recently reconstructed to accommodate
a six lane I-93 (three lanes in each direction).
Finally,
the 2020 Vision for
Concord completed in 2001 identified several visions
for I-93 within Concord. These included limiting I-93
to six lanes, providing access to the Merrimack River from
downtown, and a potential re-configuration of Exit 14 bringing
Bridge Street / Loudon Road over I-93. These and other
alternatives will be investigated during the Part A portion
of the project.
I-93
Transportation Planning Study
The
New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has
begun a three-phase study of the Bow-Concord I-93 Corridor.
Part
A is a planning study that will develop a reasonable range
of transportation alternatives for I-93 improvements.
Part
B is the scoping portion, where an environmental document
is prepared, and a preferred alternative is selected.
Part
C is final design, right of way acquisition, and construction
advertisement.
The
Part A study will be performed by a consultant team lead
by McFarland-Johnson, Inc. of Concord, NH. The study includes
developing a multi-modal transportation model to evaluate
alternatives, a macro-level evaluation of environmental
impacts and benefits, and an extensive public participation
program. Part A is currently underway and is scheduled
to be completed mid 2007.
Part
A will be conducted at the same time as other major planning
studies in the region. The City of Concord has
begun their master plan update, as well as studying their
Opportunity Corridor. The City of Concord Master Plan is
scheduled to be completed by the end of 2006. The Town
of Bow completed their Master Plan in 2004 and the
Town of Pembroke completed their Master Plan in 2005.
A
collaborative public participation program is planned for
the Bow-Concord I-93 project. Initially, the program included
two committees: a Citizen's
Advisory Task Force and a Technical
Review Committee. These two committees have now been
merged into a Planning Group that includes new representation
from local interest groups. The new Planning Group complements
the Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) Project Development
Process that the New Hampshire Department of Transportation
is currently implementing and will be applying to the project.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) defines CSS as
a "collaborative, interdisciplinary approach, that involves
all stakeholders to develop a transportation facility that
fits its physical setting and preserves scenic, aesthetic,
historic and environmental resources, while maintaining
safety and mobility."
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