After 2 deadly accidents in 16 months, state will install rumble strips on bypass

GILFORD — State staff have plans to install rumble strips along the Route 3/11 bypass, which could serve as a warning to drivers crossing the center line. There have been two deadly accidents on that road over 16 months — the most recent being on Nov. 14, and its cause is still under investigation.

“The full length of the Laconia–Gilford Bypass is scheduled for resurfacing, potentially in 2026,” said Jennifer Lane, state Department of Transportation chief communications officer. “As part of that work, we plan to install center line rumble strips. These strips provide an additional alert to drivers when their vehicle is drifting across the center line, helping to reduce the chance of crossover crashes.”

Lane said DOT is not aware of any location on the bypass where lanes merge in an unexpected or unsafe manner. She said traveling northeast, there is a designated passing lane that starts near mile marker 76.2, allowing for slow moving vehicles to keep right, allowing others to safely pass. This includes trucks climbing the grade of the road.

The passing lane ends near mile marker 77, with what Lane described as a “properly designed and standard lane-drop taper.” There is a passing lane that ends near mile marker 77.3 for vehicles traveling southwest, and also has “the appropriate taper,” she said.

“All of these transitions meet engineering standards,” Lane said. “And at this time, we have no indication that the lane transitions played any role in the recent crash.”

The two crashes occurred when a car crossed over the center line into oncoming traffic, causing a fatal collision.

In the Nov. 14 crash, Grady Shoemaker, 20, of Laconia, and 63-year-old Renee Privitera of Belmont died in a head-on collision that is currently under investigation by the Gilford Police Department and the Belknap Regional Accident Investigation Team. Deputy Chief Dustin Parent said all factors of the accident are being investigated, including speed and impairment, and results from a toxicology test have not yet been received.

The weather was clear at the time of the accident, and took place just after 3 p.m.

On July 12, 2024, Tracey MacLean, 41, of Bristol, and Mary Kalista, 68, of Farmington, died in a head-on collision on the bypass.

Both accidents occurred in the vicinity of the exit for Gilford Avenue.

“Every roadway fatality is one too many,” Lane said. “Any loss of life on our roads is tragic, and we take these incidents very seriously. While we continue to monitor crash data and make safety improvements where appropriate, driver attentiveness and safe behavior behind the wheel remain critical to preventing these types of tragedies.”