Weirs Blvd Bridge work starts Sept. 8, road closed until November

WEIRS BEACH — The Weirs Boulevard Bridge, carrying Route 3 and Weirs Boulevard, will undergo a full reconstruction after Labor Day weekend.

The $1.9 million project will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The bridge, across from the Langley Cove development, will be closed until the last week of November, and the road will be open to local traffic only on both sides.

Those looking to drive to 556 Weirs Blvd or south will be able to get through, but anyone looking to reach as far as 569 Weirs Blvd will be detoured from the north. Traffic coming from the south will be routed to White Oaks Road.

“I recommend people come in from the north, or through Gilford, if they need to get to a part of the Weirs,” City Manager Kirk Beattie said. 

The project is part of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s 10-year plan, a capital improvement program updated every two years, used to schedule and prioritize road, bridge, and transit projects necessary for public safety. NHDOT is funding 80% of the nearly $2 million project, with the other 20% funded by the city.

The structure is currently a red-listed bridge, which means that it is safe to drive on, but state staff found at least one major structural problem during the bridge’s yearly inspection. Beattie said the bridge has been on the state’s red-list for several years. The reconstruction project has been in the works for three years, according to Public Works Director Nate Guerette.

“This project has been discussed for a long time,” Guerette said. “The bridge is beyond its serviceable life.”

The bridge and road will reopen to traffic at the end of November, by Thanksgiving. The bridge will be paved for two-lane traffic, and the curbs will be extended on both sides, making room for pedestrian pathways. Guerette projected the construction won’t be entirely complete until Memorial Day weekend.

“We want to get the road opened as soon as we can,” Beattie said. “We certainly wouldn’t want to affect the large volume of traffic on the boulevard during the spring and summer.”