KEENE, NH – Expect traffic delays in Keene later this week as six huge steel girders will be delivered and set in place at the site of the Island Street Bridge on Thursday, December 14.

 

The transportation of the six 145-foot-long main beams will cause significant traffic delays according to City Engineer Don Lussier. In order to move the 145-foot-long trucks to the bridge site, detours will be set up and traffic will be temporarily held for periods of time throughout the day. 

 

In an email to WKBK, Lussier outlined some of the traffic days drivers can expect.

 

On Winchester Street between Walier Chevrolet and Main Street, traffic will be restricted to east-bound (toward Main St.) only.  Westbound traffic will need to use Main St. to Rt. 101 to access the southern end of Winchester St.

 

As each of the six beams are moved from the staging area on Rt. 9 to the bridge site, police vehicles and trucks with amber lights will be used to stop traffic along the route so the trailer can maneuver safely.  As the load approaches and moves through the intersections, traffic may be stopped for periods of up to 20 minutes.

 

The trailers will need to back up from Rt. 101 to the bridge site, using the south-bound side of Winchester St.  “We expect this maneuver will take 15-20 minutes for each beam,” Lussier said.  During this time all traffic at Key Road and Island Street will be held.  Riverside Plaza traffic will be allowed to turn right toward Main Street only.

“We understand that this is going to create significant inconvenience for drivers, but it is a critical and exciting milestone in the project,” Lussier said.