Main Street Bridge reconstruction project will test motorists patience

LACONIA — City Manager Scott Myers outlined the process for reconstructing the Main Street Bridge over the Winnipesaukee River, together with the attendant plans to redirect traffic during construction, when the City Council met last night.

Myers stressed that the arrangements were reached in a series of meetings with officials from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and representatives of Dubois & King, Inc., consulting engineers, with contributions from property and business owners whose fortunes will be be affected by the project.

Myers said that beginning next spring the project will be undertaken in four stages, each estimated to take 10 to 12 weeks to complete. He said that the first three stages are expected to be completed before Thanksgiving and the final stage completed in the spring of 2014.

The bridge, Myers said, will remain open to two-way traffic throughout the construction. Keeping the bridge open will require different traffic patterns for each of the four stages of construction.

During the first stage, Beacon Street East will be closed at the bridge. Traffic will be routed up Main Street to Hanover Street then proceed to the parking garage, parking lots or Church Street. Beacon Street East will remain closed during the second stage when the southern end of Main Street will be narrowed to a temporary lane on the west side of the roadway.

The third stage will be the mirror image of the second with Beacon Street East remaining closed and the temporary lane on Main Street moving to the east side of the roadway.

During the final stage Beacon Street West will be closed at the bridge, but open to the parking lots, while Main Street will be open only to southbound traffic between Pleasant Street and Court Street. Myers explained that what he called an "S" curve would created at the junction of Pleasant Street and Main Street to enable vehicles to navigate the intersection because Main Street is normally open only to northbound traffic.

Myers emphasized that city and state officials intend to work closely to provide sufficient signage to direct traffic not only through the detours but also to downtown businesses. Acknowledging the potential impact on downtown retailers, he said that every effort would be made to mitigate it.