Noting that the Town of Derry has agreed to turn over project management for the proposed Exit 4A of Interstate 93 to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT), Town Manager Kevin Smith asked the Londonderry Town Council for permission to do the same.
Smith said the crux of a recent Derry meeting was for DOT to seek permission from both Derry and Londonderry to turn over the project management, as previously reported in the Londonderry Times.
Smith said the reason for the request was twofold.
“As part of their 10-year highway transportation plan, they’re looking to add exit 4A, but to do that they need to have project management of the 4A construction plan,” Smith said. “The second reason is in order to try and leverage federal funds, they need to be the project manager.”
Smith said Derry agreed to the proposal by submitting a letter to DOT. “I’m here to seek the Council’s approval to submit a similar letter,” Smith said.
The letter reads in part: “On Sept. 22, 2014, the Londonderry Town Council voted 4-0 to request that the New Hampshire Department of Transportation assume administrative charge of completion of the Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS), and responsibility for completing the project design and construction of Exit 4A and associated roadways known as Alternative A.”
The letter notes that key aspects of the project are:
• Construction of a new diamond interchange, which would only receive traffic from and direct traffic to the east side of Interstate 93, located approximately one mile north of existing Exit 4.
• Construction of approximately one mile of new connector roadway that would travel across undeveloped land to Folsom Road near its intersection with North High Street in Derry.
• Reconstruction and improvements to approximately 1.6 miles of existing roadway, including sections of North High Street, Folsom Road, and Tsienneto Road, as well as sections of Franklin Street Extension, New Hampshire Route 28, Pinkerton Street, New Hampshire Route 28 Bypass, and New Hampshire Route 102. The improvements include the addition of turning lanes, through traffic lanes, and traffic signals.
The letter further states that Londonderry had appropriated $5 million for the project and has spent $1.75 million from its 4A Capital Project Fund for project-related expenses.
The letter said the Town of Londonderry commits to working with Derry and the DOT to facilitate the design, right of way procurement and construction of exit 4A, and in doing so will formalize an agreement with those entities confirming the scope of work, commitments to use the remainder of available Town funding, estimated to be $6.4 million, or $3.25 million per town, for all phases of work, and supporting the DOT in completing the project.
“By assuming charge of and responsibility for the project, the DOT explicitly acknowledges that the Town of Londonderry has no authority or obligation to expend more than $5 million (approximately $3,250,000 remaining) on the project and relies upon the NH DOT to secure funding for the project from state and federal sources,” the letter continues.
The Council unanimously granted permission to send the letter.