SB 512-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2024 SESSION

24-2919

11/06

SENATE BILL 512-FN

AN ACT relative to the 10-year highway plan.

SPONSORS: Sen. Chandley, Dist 11; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Whitley, Dist 15; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Ward, Dist 8; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Rep. LeClerc, Hills. 34; Rep. M. Murray, Hills. 37; Rep. Petrigno, Hills. 43; Rep. Veilleux, Hills. 34

COMMITTEE: Transportation

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ANALYSIS

This bill adds a traffic-calming scheme on a portion of Route 101 to the New Hampshire 10-Year Transportation Improvement Plan.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

24-2919

11/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four

AN ACT relative to the 10-year highway plan.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1  New Section. Amend RSA 240 by inserting after section 240:3 the following new section:

240:4  Department of Transportation; 10-Year Transportation Improvement Plan; Traffic Calming on Route 101.  The department of transportation shall include in the 10-year transportation improvement plan, a plan to address chronic severe crashes on Route 101 from Bedford at Hitching Post Lane to the intersection of Route 101 and Route 101A in Milford.  Said plan to be consistent with the recommendations of the 2002 New Hampshire Route 101 Corridor Plan to implement physical separation of traffic lanes that have opposite directions of travel and address access management consistent with limited access highway design.

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBA

24-2919

12/5/23

SB 512-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to the 10 year highway plan.

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

METHODOLOGY:

This bill would require the Department of Transportation (NHDOT) to implement safety improvements by physically separating traffic with a median barrier and introduces access management principles between NH Route 101A in Milford and Hitching Post Lane in Bedford.  This bill requests nearly 11 miles of improvements to be consistent with the 2002 New Hampshire Route 101 Corridor Plans (Corridor Study) for Milford, Amherst, and Bedford, which include:

• Milford to Amherst (6.9 miles) – The Corridor Study proposes a limited access highway facility including two-lanes in each direction, median barrier with shoulders, wider outside shoulders between NH 101A in Milford and Camp Road in Amherst, along with new interchanges at Walnut Road and Horrace Greeley.  Other minor roads are limited to a connector between Amherst Street/Walnut Hill and at Horace Greeley or by directional access only. Two new bridge structures are also required in this plan.
• Amherst to Bedford (3.9 miles) – The Corridor Study proposes two lanes in each direction, 14-20’ raised median to accommodate left turn lanes, 5’ outside shoulders with vertical curb, and sidewalk and panel are included between Camp Road in Amherst to Hitching Post Lane in Bedford. The Corridor study proposed access through signalized intersections at Joppa Hill and Stowell Roads and Hardy and Jenkins Roads, and limited access by select unsignalized intersections with east and westbound access, while other minor roadways were limited to right in-right out or by connector roads. This section of roadway is similar in scope and impact to the NHDOT project Bedford 13953 between Wallace Road and NH Route 114 completed in 2017.

NHDOT states the project would require new limited access right-of-way (LAROW) primarily east of NH Route 122 for the new roadway, interchanges, water quality treatment measures, and connector roads.   A programming estimate has been assessed for right-of-way costs, similar in scope to the Bedford 13953 project (NH 114 to Wallace Road) completed in 2017. The project is on the National Highway System and would be eligible for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds to a maximum of 80% of the project cost. Utilizing FHWA Funds requires NHDOT to adhere to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and conduct the necessary environmental permitting. A programming estimate has been assessed for preliminary engineering and environmental permitting consistent with larger projects requiring at minimum Environmental Assessment (EA) by FHWA.

NHDOT maintains a database to track unit prices for each bid, utilized to help determine programming costs for future projects.  At this stage, complex projects are difficult to accurately project costs due to the large unknowns. The following additional information is provided for consideration:

• The typical cost of urban roadways similar to NH Route 101 between Wallace Road and NH Route 114 ranges from $1.8M-$2.2M per lane mile, and interstate facilities similar to F.E. Everett Turnpike is $1.6M-$2.3M.  The average cost per lane for the roadways is similar; therefore, the estimated cost assumes $2.0M per lane mile for all roadways.
• The proposed bill affects approximately 90 lane miles of NH Route 101 and adjacent roadways.
• There are 11 existing bridges and potentially 2 new bridges, as shown with the Corridor Study.
• Engineering costs are typically 10-15% for large complex projects.
• The Bedford 13953 (ROW) was approximately 40% greater than the engineering costs, and the land use is similar in Amherst and costs are expected to be similar.
• All costs have been adjusted to account for inflation (3.7%) and administrative costs (10%) typical in the Ten-Year Plan.
• No work is anticipated in FY24 to account for State and Federal Approvals.

  Phase Start Year Funding ($) Program

Preliminary Engineering 2025 33,000,000* Federal Aid - Highway

Right of Way 2030 55,000,000 Federal Aid - Highway

Construction 2035 380,000,000 Federal Aid – Highway

*It is assumed in each FY 2025, FY 2026, and FY 2027, approximately $7,000,000 would be expended in each year; $1,400,000 from state highway fund and $5,600,000 from federal sources.

Lastly, NHDOT states the Ten-Year Plan is fiscally constrained.  Introduction of this project will require the delay of existing projects already funded in the Plan.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Transportation