Voters Blast Rt 1 Intersection Project [VIDEO]

The above video captures some the spirited debate and comments shared Saturday about the Winnacunnet Road-Lafayette Road (Route 1) intersection project during the 2013 Hampton town deliberative session.

Numerous people urged the public to vote against Article 12 for various reasons, including some the reasons shared by Hampton Budget Committee Vice Chairwoman Mary-Louise Woolsey, committee member Dick Desrosiers, and former Selectman Jerry Znoj in the video above.

State Rep. Fred Rice, R-Hampton, and Public Works Director Keith Noyes spoke in support of the proposed project, which removes a dangerous "spur" for only $64,000 because the rest of the $510,000 overhaul will be paid through grants and existing town fund.

Noyes said the intersection is "dangerous," while Rice, a big proponent of the article, said the opponents were making "much ado about nothing" Saturday on an article that costs the community little for big safety improvements to an important intersection.

Noyes said he feels confident about a new plan, proposed Saturday for the first time, to use roughly $150,000 out of his operating budget to "deal with the sewer line" upgrades during the intersection reconstruction.

One resident said he would still oppose the article even if it's fully funded by the government because it "still doesn't improve the traffic on Route 1."

The article's funding went unchanged Saturday, and will go to the March polls as-is.

How do you feel about the proposed project? Tell us in the comments!

For live thread featuring updates on this project and updates on the rest of the warrant articles, including a big change to the old courthouse demolition proposal, click here. A primer on all of the 2013 town meeting issues is available here.