The proposed $370M expansion of the I-93 and I-89 corridor in Concord, N.H., includes adding lanes, rehabbing 33 bridges and improving safety and connectivity for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. The project is set to begin in 2029 and aims to address traffic congestion and enhance transportation in the capital region.
The projected price tag for the long-discussed expansion of the Interstate 93 and I-89 corridor in and around Concord, N.H., has risen to $370 million — almost 50 percent more than projections made before the pandemic — with the purchase of rights-of-way now slated for 2026 and first major construction set for 2029.
The project, which has been in the planning stages for well over a decade, would add a lane to I-93 in both directions over a 5-mi. stretch in Concord, make major changes between Exits 12-15 on the freeway and some adjoining streets, as well as at Exit 1 on I-89 just to the south in Bow.
As detailed by the project page on the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) website, the expansion would involve some non-car-related work such as moving railroad tracks, enlarging the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, and adding bicycle and pedestrian lanes — although the vast majority of the state agency's effort is aimed at helping more cars and trucks move safely and efficiently.
If the schedule stays as projected in New Hampshire's 2025-2034 Ten-Year transportation plan funding, work on major repairs of bridges — the most urgent part of the entire effort — would begin in 2029, according to a report by the Concord Monitor on Oct. 21.
A total of 33 bridges will be rehabbed or replaced as part of the project, including six that are "red-listed," meaning state engineers have said they are most in need of repair. In all, more than 120 bridges around the state are on the list.
NHDOT said it has "programmed federal highway and turnpike toll funds to pay for the project," without the use of local funding.
One possibility that is not listed by the agency on its website is the construction of a separate pedestrian bridge over the Merrimack River to better connect the two halves of Concord, something that city officials have brought up, according to the Monitor.
Like many cities in the 19th and early 20th century, New Hampshire's capital city of Concord developed its river as a transportation and industrial corridor, lining its western bank with roads, railroads and electric transmission systems that have walled it off from downtown.
Due to environmental improvements, the Merrimack River is now clean enough that people want to enjoy it, but a century of infrastructure is still in the way. Many in Concord see the I-93 redesign as the city's best chance to fix the problem and have been pushing transportation planners to give more thought to better connect the city with the river, the newspaper noted.
The state transportation department lists a number of possible benefits from the Bow-Concord Project, including reduced car and truck congestion, a possibility that will resonate with area residents after experiencing recent traffic jams due to seasonal leaf-peepers.
But the Concord Monitor noted that this aspect is also controversial due to what is known as "induced demand," in which expanded roadways end up attracting more drivers, leaving them just as crowded as before but with more vehicles involved.
Creating a Better Corridor for Capital Region
For its part, NHDOT believes the proposed Bow-Concord roadway improvement project will address the safety, mobility, traffic operational deficiencies and transportation choices for all drivers.
The agency noted on its online Bow-Concord project site that the effort's principal objective is "to ensure a safe and efficient transportation corridor for people, goods and services, while balancing the natural, cultural and recreational resources of the surrounding communities."
The corridor includes not only I-93 and I-89, which intersect on Concord's south end, but also nearby I-393, and other connecting roadways and interchanges.
To overhaul the safety of the corridor, NHDOT wants to reduce interchange weaving and lengthen freeway entry and exit lanes, upgrade intersection geometries and build wider shoulders for emergency response.
Its designers and engineers also plan to:
- Reduce I-93, I-89, and I-393 congestion by addressing the continued pressures of high traffic volumes between those freeways and local roads.
- Improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities by focusing on intersection safety and installing wider shoulders on Loudon Road.
- Utilize alternatives which have the least negative impacts, such as maintaining current alignments and minimizing damage to the river, promoting better air and water quality, and holding down disruptions to private and municipal utilities.
- Institute greater mobility along the roadway system by creating a reliable network for all users, including freight and transit, and enhancing connections to facilitate the transportation of goods and services for Bow, Concord, and the entire state.
New Hampshire state officials anticipate that the Concord-Bow roadway project will receive approval from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 2025 prior to NHDOT beginning its final design or creation of the construction plans.
The first project likely to be tackled is the upgrade to the I-393 bridge over I-93 in Concord to remove that structure from NHDOT's red list, starting in 2028.
Over the next 10 years or so, the state is currently slated to begin an overhaul from 2032 to 2035 of I-89's Exit 1, work on intersection and interchange alterations along I-93's Exits 12-14 in the 2031-2036 timeframe and construct an additional lane in each direction on I-93 beginning in 2032, an effort likely to take 6 years to complete, if all goes according to plan.
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