Hampton Beach Ocean Boulevard $50M makeover: Here's the latest plan and start date

HAMPTON — State officials rolled out the latest draft of a future reconstruction of Ocean Boulevard to improve traffic and pedestrian safety that could start construction in 2026.

Roundabouts are being considered at the state park, Boar’s Head and Winnacunnet Road, state Department of Transportation staff told residents in a public meeting at Hampton Beach Tuesday. However, a previous proposal to relocate state parking from the middle of the roadway to right up against the seawall from the Lady of the Sea monument to Boar's Head is no longer on the table.

The approximately $50 million project would also bring new sidewalks with curbs and bike lanes.

The meeting was part of a long process of gathering feedback from the public. A public information meeting will take place in the spring, while a public hearing will happen in the summer, according to the department.

More than 100 people attended the presentation at the state Seashell Complex across the street from the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. DOT project manager Tobey Reynolds said a prior meeting drew 136 people and Tuesday’s crowd appeared larger.

While some who attended praised ideas like the use of roundabouts, many said they were concerned the changes would bring more problems. Some said the state was waiting too long to address speeding, while others said changes like proposed lane reductions could cause a new bottleneck.

“We’re going to have double the traffic,” Nancy Donovan said of the stretch near her home on Boar’s Head Terrace. “A constant backup there.”

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Project to bring roundabouts, sidewalks, pedestrian barriers

A redo of Ocean Boulevard, or Route 1A, has been in the works for about 10 years, according to DOT consultant team manager Roch Larochelle. Funding for the project will be allocated through DOT’s Ten-Year Plan, where projects are prioritized for federal dollars.

DOT has $7.3 million available for the project, according to Reynolds. That’s about enough to begin the first phase, which would be from State Park Road to Nudd Avenue. The second phase would go from Nudd Avenue to Winnacunnet Road. The third would take the project from Winnacunnet Road to High Street.

The state has applied for a federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant of $25 million that would allow the first two phases to be completed. Reynolds said the state will learn in June whether it will receive the grant. If acquired, Reynolds said the project’s first phase would start in 2026, its second in 2028.

Changes proposed include either a roundabout or a non-signaled intersection at State Park Road. It would also change Harbor Road to one-way in, reducing congestion at the Ashworth Avenue-Ocean Boulevard intersection according to DOT.

Sidewalks, bike lanes, and an additional buffer area would be added along the main stretch of the tourist section of Ocean Boulevard. From I Street to A Street, a permanent pedestrian barrier would be installed separating the road from the sidewalks so tourists are not walking alongside cars in the street.

A new traffic signal is proposed at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Highland Avenue. A roundabout would be placed at Dumas Avenue just north of Boar’s Head and near Winnacunnet Road.

Parking would remain in the center of the road from the Lady of the Sea monument to Boar's Head. Previously, DOT officials proposed moving the parking next to the seawall, but residents and local officials expressed concern the ocean view would be obstructed for drivers enjoying a coastal joyride.

Parking from Boar's Head to Winnacunnet Road would be relocated from the middle of the road to against the seawall. The north and southbound lanes would be reduced to two lanes of traffic rather than the current four lanes. DOT staff said that would help address speeding cars as drivers have been known to race in that area, according to residents.

DOT staff said the project would improve the infrastructure’s protection against storms and flooding. It would bring new catch basins and underground infiltration systems, as well as a median barrier adjacent to center parking areas.

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DOT officials vow to rely on feedback, 'not going to force' changes

Residents who spoke during a question-and-answer period raised concerns about unintended traffic consequences from the presentation they saw.

They said the proposal to remove some entrances to the parking lot between Highland Avenue and Boar’s Head would make it harder for people to change directions.

Others said the lane reductions, while likely to slow speeders, would create new traffic problems. Donovan said she couldn’t imagine “the middle of summer” when traffic is backed up sometimes from Winnacunnet Road to the main beach.

Moving the parking in that section of the beach next to the seawall, some residents said, could lead to splash-over and debris landing on parked cars. DOT staff responded that the benefit of the move would be to protect drivers from splash-overs rather than empty vehicles.

DOT staff said they will continue to look at feedback from the public as they work on developing plans for the project. Reynolds said projects, proposed by regional planning commissions around the state, are based on community needs and that resident feedback will not be discounted.

“We’re not going to build anything that the community doesn’t want,” Reynolds said. “We’re not going to force something on them that we think might be the right decision when they are adamantly against it.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach Ocean Boulevard $50M makeover: Latest plan