Bridge work in Durham will require temporarily closing Route 4 for five days and detouring all traffic

posted on: 7/12/2020

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) announces an upcoming five-day closure of US Route 4 in Durham to facilitate the replacement of the Bunker Creek Bridge.

Beginning Sunday, July 19, 2020 at 11 p.m. and lasting approximately five days, US Route 4 will be closed to all through traffic. This phase of work will include demolition of the existing bridge; installation of new precast bridge elements, including the bridge abutments and superstructure; final placement of lightweight fill and roadway materials; and paving.

During the closure, traffic will be detoured from US Route 4 and the Spaulding Turnpike via NH 108 or NH 155 with the use of detour signs and message boards. Trucks are encouraged to use the NH 155 detour. All motorists are encouraged to remain alert and obey all posted signs.

The NHDOT worked closely with local authorities in Dover and Durham to develop a traffic detour plan. The official detour route will be via the Spaulding Turnpike, Exit 7, and NH Route 108 and will be marked with signs. The Dover Police Department is prepared to have officers helping facilitate traffic control at the Exit 7 interchanges during morning and evening peak commute times. The Dover Police Department is also well aware that the closure will result in increased traffic on Piscataqua Road, Back River Road, and Spruce Lane, and will perform extra patrols in these areas to monitor speed and truck restrictions.

The Town of Durham has planned for the geographic challenges associated with the bridge closure, which effectively isolates a small portion of Durham east of the Bunker Creek Bridge. The Dover Police Department and the Newington Fire Department will assist Durham public safety officials through the activation of their mutual aid agreements to ensure that emergency response times to these Durham properties does not suffer.

The existing bridge was built in 1933 and repaired in 1970. The new bridge will correct two geometric deficiencies, will be higher to accommodate 100-year flooding concerns, and will be constructed to meet today's standards for design, safety and resilience.

US Route 4 is a critical east-west route in NH which carries 16,000 vehicles per day and crosses several environmentally sensitive areas. The new Bunker Creek bridge is designed to last longer and protect this tributary of the tidal Oyster River. The new bridge will be wider to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians, and will be higher for continued access to safe waterway recreation opportunities in the area.

This work is part of the Durham 16236 Design-Build Bunker Creek Bridge Replacement Project. SPS New England, Inc. of Salisbury, Massachusetts is the Design-Builder for the $7.1 million project, which is scheduled to be completed in October 2020.

For project history or background information, visit the NHDOT's webpage at https://www.nh.gov/dot/projects/durham16236/index.htm.