Closing the loop: Elm Street bridge, sidewalk expansion nearing completion

LAKEPORT — Construction work on the Elm Street bridge is nearing completion.

Work to rehabilitate the deck on the bridge has caused significant traffic congestion on an already busy road, alternating one-way traffic across the dam.

Work on the bridge will be finished in November, Public Works Director Wes Anderson said Friday afternoon. His staff will know a more precise timeline as the work continues.

Constructed in 2003, the bridge over the river at Elm Street is undergoing the first major repairs required to ensure its anticipated lifespan of 75 to 100 years. Working together with city staff, the WOW Trail Committee began making strides on the first phase of the Opechee Loop extension of the WOW Trail in coordination with the bridge rehabilitation work, according to a media release.

The combined effort will result in the widening of the sidewalk along the bridge deck at lower cost and with fewer disruptions to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The committee used WOW Trail funds, $325,000 in grant funding — $100,000 from Belknap County and $225,000 from the Northern Border Regional Commission — and the remainder, about $575,000, from the Lakeport Tax Increment Financing district.   

TIF districts capture a portion of tax revenue for reinvestment within the boundaries of that district. There are also TIF districts downtown and in the Weirs. 

“Being able to do both projects at the same time has allowed the city to make additional upgrades to the area while staying under budget,” Assistant Director of Public Works Nate Guerette wrote. “We hope for another 20 to 25 years before this type of major bridge maintenance is necessary.”

The WOW Trail Committee, in cooperation with prominent Lakeport developer Scott Everett, will spend $100,000 to begin the next phase of the project, which will tie the widened sidewalk from Doris Ray Court to the WOW Trail terminus at Lakeport Square. Construction on that section is anticipated to begin soon, building the base for a new public space — paving, landscaping and hardscaping will follow in the spring or summer of 2026, creating a promenade-style segment.

“The goal of this project — and the Opechee Loop — is to provide safer routes for bicyclists and pedestrians connecting neighborhoods with schools, parks, beaches and business districts,” Allan Beetle, president of the WOW Trail Committee wrote. “Building the Opechee Loop is another step toward economic vitality for our business districts and better transportation and recreation options for the community.”

The Opechee Loop will include sidewalk and pathway enhancements up Elm to Route 106, continue through the proposed Laconia Village development at the former State School property, traverse Ahern State Park to Shore Drive and, ultimately, reconnect with the existing WOW Trail downtown at Pleasant Street. 

Pleasant Street is home to the only other anticipated sidewalk improvement for the connection. Additionally, the City of Laconia was selected to receive a Transportation Alternatives Program grant to help fund the next section, from Franklin Street to Elm Street School, with work there targeted for the 2028 timeframe. 

“We will continue partnering with the city, the state, and private developers to build out this vision — especially when roadwork or planned development lets us minimize costs and impacts,” Beetle wrote.

For more information about the Opechee Loop, visit wowtrail.org.