More 'Red List' Bridges to be Replaced

Two more "red list" bridges in Portsmouth will be replaced as part of a contract approved May 15 by the Executive Council and Gov. Maggie Hassan.

The state Department of Transportation's Bureau of Construction will enter into a $4,339,354 contract with E.D. Swett of Concord for replacing the Middle Road bridge and the Islington Street bridge over the Route 1 bypass.

The project is the second of four projects on the state's transportation improvement radar to remove or replace the existing "red list" bridges over the Route 1 bypass.

The Middle Road and Islington Street bridges were built around 1940.

The two bridges will be closd during construction–one at a time–and the speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph along the Route 1 bypass area during construction times, according to DOT documents.

With projects like these, the state aims to keep major bridge work scheduled during night and overnight hours.

The project completion date is Sept. 18, 2015, according to the proposed contract.