Construction Impacts

Projects of Note

Development-related Work

Russell and Deer Street striping completed for lane shift. Police detail at the Deer-Market Street intersection to facilitate commuter traffic flow.
Green St – Developer has started installation of Green St water main.

Peirce Island Roadwork

Paving continues, the week of October 20.

Campus Drive Athletic Fields

Quirk began construction of the new field on October 9. Work continues to spring.

Pinehurst Street

MAC Construction is installing a new 8" water main. The first step, that lasts approximately 1 week, is to install a temporary water main and connect houses from the old main to the temporary one. There will be temporary, 30-minute water service interruptions with notice given a minimum of 2 hours in advance. Once the new water main is installed that process will take place again to switch service to the new water main. Flaggers will be in place to direct any temporary interruptions in traffic flow.

Vaughan Mall Reconstruction

Week of October 20: Continued work on sewer and drainage installation. Exploratory excavation on Congress Street between Vaughan Mall and Maplewood Avenue. For safety, pedestrians are asked to comply with any barricades, sidewalk closure signs and directions from flaggers to help them navigate around the work areas. A public information meeting was held July 7, 2025 to discuss options for the landscape redesign of Vaughan Mall once the underground infrastructure is replaced. A pre-construction meeting on that work, scheduled to start after Labor Day, was held on August 20. For the meeting presentations and video recordings, more information and to sign up for future email updates, visit the project page.

Islington Street

Week of October 20: State Street sidewalk work and paving. Parking ban and detour impacting the block between Middle Street and Summer Street remain in place through 4 pm Friday, October 17. For the project overview: March 19, 2024 public meeting presentation and video recording, additional background information and to sign up to receive weekly updates on the project, visit the project page.

Maplewood Avenue Bridge

Week of October 20: Work continues within the bridge closure limits on the south side. Construction activity includes continued reconstruction of the southern rail support slab. The bridge work will continue on the south side through November as the contractor replaces the sidewalks and railings. The outbound lane will remain closed throughout the summer. Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times via the northern sidewalk. For detour options, the meeting presentation, design plans, additional background and to sign up to receive weekly updates on the project, visit the project page.

Union Street

Re-seeding is anticipated in the near future. Following up on punch-list items. For more information in the April 2, 2024 meeting presentation and video recording and to sign up to receive weekly updates on the project, visit the project page.

Willard Avenue

Hydroseeding has been completed, to promote grass growth. Contractor is completing punch-list items. For the original project preconstruction meeting presentation and video recording, more information and to sign up for future email updates, visit the project page.

Bartlett Street

TRAFFIC ALERT: As part of the design, the four-way stop at Thornton and Bartlett Streets has been REPLACED with a two-way stop. There are stop signs now on Thornton Street, not Bartlett. Please be extra cautious because of this permanent change. City staff continue to collect speed and volume data on Bartlett Street to see how traffic is adjusting to the new roadway and intersection configurations. These summary reports of speed studies conducted at #314 Bartlett Street, located halfway between Thornton Street and Pine Street. The first was conducted in November 2019 before the reconstruction project, the second one in October 2025 after the completion of the project. The results indicate that the average speeds at this location have decreased from the previous average of 24 MPH to the current average of 21 MPH. Additional speed monitoring will continue to be conducted at locations along Bartlett Street between Dennett Street and Cate Street. For the March 27, 2024 public meeting presentation and video recording, additional background information and to sign up to receive weekly updates on the project, visit the project page.

Middle/Miller/Summer Street Intersection Signals

Construction has started with site conduit and sidewalk work expected to be completed by mid-October. Installation of the traffic signal equipment is estimated for December 2025 and will be dependent on the equipment manufacturer’s schedule. Electric Light is the contractor. For more information, visit the project page. Please note that the pedestrian crossing lights are not functional at this time. Their replacement is part of the bigger project. As a reminder to pedestrians, at a crossing where there are no pedestrian signals, pedestrians must obey the red, yellow, or green signal lights, crossing when traffic in their intended path is stopped. Driver must yield to pedestrians at all times.

Hanover Garage

The Hanover Garage is in year two of a three-year renovation. Questions? Contact the Parking Office at 603-610-7257. Go to the Hanover Garage Project page for more information.

DPW Facilities Improvements

The construction crew continues work on the expanded facilities behind the building at 680 Peverly Hill Road. Work will continue 7 days a week (including Saturday and Sunday), 7 am to 6 pm, through November to complete the work before the end of the construction season. The work does not affect access to the Recycling Center. For more information, go to the project page.

NHDOT I-95 Southbound Night Work

NHDOT will start night work for the Portsmouth project on I-95 Southbound on I-95. This work will consist of the placement of portable concrete barrier along the Southbound right shoulder starting at the Exit 7 off ramp (MM 15.6) to the Exit 5 off ramp (MM 14.0). The existing shoulder will be reduced from 13 feet to 2 feet for approximately 3 months. The Part Time Shoulder Use Lane will be unavailable for the duration of this closure. This work will require the use of lane closures; the right lane and shoulder of Southbound I-95 will be closed nightly from MM 15.6 to MM 14.0. Message boards, uniformed officers, traffic control devices, and smart work zone devices will be used to notify the travelling public. This work is part of the construction of two sound abatement walls and privacy fence along I-95 in Portsmouth. Northeast Earth Mechanics, Inc. of Pittsfield, New Hampshire is the general contractor for the $18.7 million project, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2025.

NHDOT Lafayette Road (Route 1)

NH Department of Transportation (NH DOT) presented updated plans for its Lafayette Road (Route 1) Corridor Improvement Project to the City Council on May 5. For background visit the Project Website (Portsmouth 29640) with the full US Route 1 Corridor Plan. NH DOT also advises that anyone with comments or concerns about this project should contact David Smith, P.E. - Project Manager, NH Department of Transportation | P.O. Box 483, Concord NH 03302.