New Hampshire

[SectorZ]

My job had me traveling on I-93 in southern NH today.  Just north of Exit 4 for NH 102, I noticed a new interchange being built.

Does this mean the state will finally adopt mileage based exit numbers, at least on I-93?  Or are they going to label this new interchange as "Exit 4 and a half"?

Other existing "issues" that would be resolved from mileage based exit numbers on I-93 include both I-293 exits and the exit for I-89 are currently unnumbered, and in the Tilton area there's no exit 21 in either direction.

It's called the "Exit 4A" project for a reason.

But, yeah, they need to go mileage based soon.

[pderocco]

What the hell is that exit, anyway? It looks like an exit that only services the American Excavating Company, and nothing else.

[The Ghostbuster]

The purpose of the new Exit 4A can be found here: https://www.i93exit4a.com/.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I may have missed it, but does anyone know what now-Gov. Ayotte's position is on mileage-based highway exits?

[The Ghostbuster]

To Be Determined. The question will be answered when the next 10-Year Highway Plan comes out. If it is removed, Gov. Ayotte will be proven to be another "Governor Sequential". If it remains in the plan, it will be all systems go for exit renumbering. Personally, I think the exit renumbering proposal will continue to appear in the 10-year plan until it is eventually approved (whether it will be this year, or years or decades from now). To be continued.

[SectorZ]

To Be Determined. The question will be answered when the next 10-Year Highway Plan comes out. If it is removed, Gov. Ayotte will be proven to be another "Governor Sequential". If it remains in the plan, it will be all systems go for exit renumbering. Personally, I think the exit renumbering proposal will continue to appear in the 10-year plan until it is eventually approved (whether it will be this year, or years or decades from now). To be continued.

I think this also depends on how much pressure there is from the feds on this. It seems like the prior (and again to be) and current administrations haven't cared too much about forcing the issue.

I was going to e-mail her office about it but didn't feel like putting in a fake address to do so, since you literally have to be from NH to contact her office and need to share every bit of contact info but your blood type and bank passwords.

[vdeane]

To Be Determined. The question will be answered when the next 10-Year Highway Plan comes out. If it is removed, Gov. Ayotte will be proven to be another "Governor Sequential". If it remains in the plan, it will be all systems go for exit renumbering. Personally, I think the exit renumbering proposal will continue to appear in the 10-year plan until it is eventually approved (whether it will be this year, or years or decades from now). To be continued.

When is the next 10 year plan due to come out?

I was going to e-mail her office about it but didn't feel like putting in a fake address to do so, since you literally have to be from NH to contact her office and need to share every bit of contact info but your blood type and bank passwords.

There's another wrinkle: is it better to contact her and try to sell her on supporting it, or leave it be on the worry that she might come to agree with the exit 3 kid if left to think about it for a long time before?

[Great Lakes Roads]

To Be Determined. The question will be answered when the next 10-Year Highway Plan comes out. If it is removed, Gov. Ayotte will be proven to be another "Governor Sequential". If it remains in the plan, it will be all systems go for exit renumbering. Personally, I think the exit renumbering proposal will continue to appear in the 10-year plan until it is eventually approved (whether it will be this year, or years or decades from now). To be continued.

When is the next 10 year plan due to come out?

Meetings in 2025 with the 10-Year plan coming out in 2026. (2027-2036)

[SectorZ]

Lots of new work on the exit 4A project in Derry. The Folsom St corridor, which is being widened as part of the project, had all the homes that were taken by eminent domain recently removed, with lots of trees removed and clearing for the new bridge at the western end of the project over Beaver Brook.

[bjcolby50]

The Bedford toll plaza on the Everett Turnpike will be converted from traditional toll plazas/barriers to all-electronic tolling, beginning on Monday, April 28.


Bedford Toll Plaza to AET

[vdeane]

The Bedford toll plaza on the Everett Turnpike will be converted from traditional toll plazas/barriers to all-electronic tolling, beginning on Monday, April 28.


Bedford Toll Plaza to AET

How does it take three years to demolish a toll plaza?

[SectorZ]

The Bedford toll plaza on the Everett Turnpike will be converted from traditional toll plazas/barriers to all-electronic tolling, beginning on Monday, April 28.


Bedford Toll Plaza to AET

How does it take three years to demolish a toll plaza?

Welcome to the Massachusettsification of it's northerly neighbor.

[shadyjay]

The Bedford toll plaza on the Everett Turnpike will be converted from traditional toll plazas/barriers to all-electronic tolling, beginning on Monday, April 28.


Bedford Toll Plaza to AET

How does it take three years to demolish a toll plaza?

I guess it depends on how they're going to do it.  Easiest solution would be to establish an AET gantry at some point either north or south of the existing toll plaza, then start demolishing the plaza itself, at night.  After a night or two, you should be able to get 3 thru lanes in each direction passable without barriers in the way.  Then you demolish the rest, remove pavement and any auxiliary support buildings, etc, and call it good. 

I agree, 3 years seems a long time.  My guess is the booths and new gantry will be live within a year or so.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Glad to hear our northern neighbors are getting rid of toll plazas that have been almost as well known for crashes than for collecting tolls.

[SectorZ]

Unsure if this was recently changed by the state, but 1B's northern terminus at US 1 in Portsmouth is now signed, and it's signage doesn't line up with wikipedia and the AA Roads wiki.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9XKguAovhK95tFS98

As shown here, in between 2019 and 2024 new signage now denotes it starts on Pleasant St at US 1/State St, following Pleasant St southeast where it becomes Marcy St. Both wikis show a different routing that has never been signed as 1B insofar as I remember. 1B has never had any signage north of South Mill Pond that I recall.

https://wiki.aaroads.com/wiki/U.S._Route_1_in_New_Hampshire#New_Hampshire_Route_1B

Oddly enough, on the AARoads wiki, on 4/12/25 someone posted a picture of the new signage a block from the northern terminus, but didn't update the actual page to reflect that the picture doesn't match the route description. Wikipedia there is no such picture.

[pderocco]

Unsure if this was recently changed by the state, but 1B's northern terminus at US 1 in Portsmouth is now signed, and it's signage doesn't line up with wikipedia and the AA Roads wiki.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9XKguAovhK95tFS98

As shown here, in between 2019 and 2024 new signage now denotes it starts on Pleasant St at US 1/State St, following Pleasant St southeast where it becomes Marcy St. Both wikis show a different routing that has never been signed as 1B insofar as I remember. 1B has never had any signage north of South Mill Pond that I recall.

https://wiki.aaroads.com/wiki/U.S._Route_1_in_New_Hampshire#New_Hampshire_Route_1B

Oddly enough, on the AARoads wiki, on 4/12/25 someone posted a picture of the new signage a block from the northern terminus, but didn't update the actual page to reflect that the picture doesn't match the route description. Wikipedia there is no such picture.

TravelMapping has it right, as does their default OSM base map. Google leaves it unspecified past the Pleasant/Marcy split.

Amusingly, when you view it in the NHDOT GIS:

https://granitweb.sr.unh.edu/Geocortex/WebViewer/?app=9ec207d1970d4ddab771dce0d57f82aa

you see it along Pleasant, but the underlying Esri map shows it on Marcy.

[Mr. Matté]

Oddly enough, on the AARoads wiki, on 4/12/25 someone posted a picture of the new signage a block from the northern terminus, but didn't update the actual page to reflect that the picture doesn't match the route description. Wikipedia there is no such picture.

One of the great things about wikis (wikies?) is that anyone can edit them. The someone who took that photo and posted it on AARoads Wiki isn't too familiar with the area and wouldn't have known that previous signage was rare but thought it would have been nice to include a photo along the route. The someone who posted the picture also doesn't edit road articles on regular Wikipedia anymore because they don't like our work over there.

[SectorZ]

Oddly enough, on the AARoads wiki, on 4/12/25 someone posted a picture of the new signage a block from the northern terminus, but didn't update the actual page to reflect that the picture doesn't match the route description. Wikipedia there is no such picture.

One of the great things about wikis (wikies?) is that anyone can edit them. The someone who took that photo and posted it on AARoads Wiki isn't too familiar with the area and wouldn't have known that previous signage was rare but thought it would have been nice to include a photo along the route. The someone who posted the picture also doesn't edit road articles on regular Wikipedia anymore because they don't like our work over there.

I'm so terminally lazy sometimes that I didn't even bother checking who posted the picture. The page not being updated mention wasn't a dig just an observation to mention the inconsistency. It's a nice (and helpful) pic!

[Great Lakes Roads]

The 2027-2036 presentation came out in late-June. Here are some notable things that caught my attention:

- Funding - Turnpike Major Capital Projects
• Reduced Capital Program funding
- Nashua-Merrimack-Bedford - Extended completion date for FEET widening
- Bow-Concord - No ability to fund construction (Turnpike or Fed)
- Manchester Exit 6 & 7 - No ability to fund construction

• TYP is $400M overprogrammed, must be brought into constraint
- Delay or remove TYP projects approx. $300M
- Remove construction of Bow-Concord, Manchester Exit 6&7 from the TYP
- Suspend adding new projects in outer years of the TYP

Turnpikes
- Live within our means
  • Suspend construction of Bow-Concord, Manchester Exit 6&7
  • Bow-Concord – Design through NEPA approval– Rehab/Preserve Red Listed bridges – approx. $75M
  • Manchester Exit 6&7 – Design through NEPA approval

- Revenue Enhancement
  • Construct Bow-Concord
    – Extend Turnpike to Merrimack River
    – Ease impact of Federal program
  • Construct Manchester Exit 6 & 7
  • Add Safety Projects
    – Hampton I-95 AET
  • Address citizen noise complaints
    – Type II Soundwall Program