KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Several road, utility and infrastructure projects will be underway across Keene this week, with motorists, pedestrians and cyclists likely to encounter closures, lane shifts and detours.
The city’s Public Works Department says construction activity scheduled for the week of Aug. 10 will affect several downtown streets as well as neighborhoods throughout the city.
In Central Square, Liberty Utilities will continue work on a new gas main along the west side of the square near West Street. West Street will be closed while crews are actively working, with detours used as necessary. The work is expected to continue through the week, although roads and parking areas are expected to return to normal at the end of each workday.
Casella Construction will also begin conducting test pits in Central Square Monday as part of the city’s downtown construction project. Traffic patterns, parking and road access may be altered as the work progresses.
Beginning Wednesday, Casella crews are scheduled to remove trees in Central Square. Parking spaces adjacent to the work will be unavailable, and traffic lanes may be shifted. The tree removal is expected to take about three days, weather permitting.
Work also continues on the Marlboro Street Reconstruction Project, where Bazin Brothers will be installing curbing and sidewalks between Kelleher Street and Baker Street. Traffic will be handled through alternating one-way movements or shifted two-way lanes depending on the work underway.
At Keene Cinema Plaza, Park Construction will continue work on the Key Road project. Crews are installing a box culvert, catch basins and tributary culverts in and behind the plaza. Parking areas and internal travel lanes may be restricted or detoured during construction. The work is expected to continue for roughly another three weeks.
The George Street Bridge remains closed as New England Infrastructure continues construction. Crews will be installing sheeting and utilities on the west side of the bridge this week. The closure and detour will remain in place throughout the project, which is expected to last about 15 weeks.
Another temporary closure is planned for Blossom Street, where BC Construction will excavate and install granite curbing and concrete sidewalk beginning Monday. Through traffic will not be permitted while the work is underway. The project is expected to be completed during the week, weather permitting.
Several smaller water-main projects are also scheduled.
On Royal Avenue at Dort Street, Frank Lucius Construction will install a water-main gate valve beginning at 8 a.m. Monday. Traffic will alternate through the work area, with the project expected to take one day. Affected property owners have been notified of a planned water outage. Paving restoration is scheduled for Friday.
On Tuesday, crews will replace water-main gate valves at Wakefield Street and Pinehurst Avenue. Both streets will be closed to through traffic during the work, which is expected to take one day. Paving is scheduled to be restored Friday.
McKinley Street at Fairview Street will be the site of another water-main valve replacement Wednesday. Traffic will alternate through the construction zone, with the work expected to last one day. Paving restoration is planned for Friday.
The final scheduled water-main project of the week will take place Thursday at Nelson Street and Roosevelt Street, where crews will install a water-main valve. Traffic will alternate through the area, with paving restoration also planned for Friday.
Elsewhere, Gordon’s Property Services and Maintenance will continue work on the Transportation Heritage Trail near Eastern Avenue. The project includes rebuilding the trailhead and installing drainage. Trailhead parking will remain closed, and construction is expected to continue for several more weeks, with completion anticipated in October.
The City Hall parking garage will also be temporarily unavailable. Structural Preservation Systems is scheduled to begin applying a traffic membrane to the parking deck Monday night. The garage is expected to remain closed through Aug. 17, weather permitting, with normal operations scheduled to resume after that date.
City officials are asking travelers to slow down in construction areas, obey temporary traffic controls and watch for workers and equipment. While many of the projects are expected to restore normal traffic patterns at the end of each workday, longer-term closures will remain in place at locations such as George Street.