Hampton Harbor bridge $107.5M replacement gets green light: Here's the timeline
HAMPTON — The state's Executive Council voted Wednesday to approve a $107.5 million contract for the replacement of the "red list" Neil R. Underwood Memorial Bridge across the inlet of Hampton Harbor.
The council selected SPS New England Inc. of Salisbury, Massachusetts, as the contractor, the low bidder of two received for the project. The other bid, $119 million, came in from Reed & Reed of Woolwich, Maine.
New Hampshire Department of Transportation officials initially estimated the cost to replace the bridge that spans Route 1A from Hampton to Seabrook would be $58 million, but that figure swelled to $78 million in 2023.
William Cass, commissioner of the state DOT, said the lowest bid exceeded expected costs by 40% due to "the complexity of the project along with the inflationary pressure of the current market."
The long-planned project, he said, would be paid with 80% federal funds and the anticipated utilization of turnpike toll credits for the state's 20% match.
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Why a new Hampton Harbor bridge is needed
The 1,200-foot-long Neil R. Underwood Bridge is steel and concrete and is seen as a vital link in connecting the villages of Hampton Beach, Seabrook and beyond that to Salisbury, Massachusetts.
But its present design as a bascule bridge — one that must open to allow boats to pass below it — is seen as a detriment, adding to the roadway’s traffic problems in the tourist season and delaying police, fire and ambulances during emergencies. Bascule bridges also require more costly maintenance due to their complex opening and closing mechanisms.
The bridge, built in 1949, has been on the state red list of deficient bridges since 1999 due to poor condition. A deck was replaced in 2010, and an emergency repair was needed in 2018.
State DOT project manager Jennifer Reczek said the bridge is functionally obsolete — or insufficient for the 18,000 vehicles that travel over and the scores of boats that sail beneath it each day during peak season.
“That doesn’t mean it’s unsafe,” Reczek said. “It is safe. What it means is that it needs attention.”
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What the new bridge will look like?
The design for the replacement is for a much taller span, which will not require the bridge to open for boating. The fixed high-level steel girder structure will be high enough for boats to pass beneath it without problem, something residents and businesses on both sides pushed for.
It will be built to the west of the existing bridge with two 11-foot travel lanes, and two 6-foot sidewalks with bump-outs at piers 2 and 5.
There will also be two 8-foot shoulders. The roadway shoulders, officials said, will improve access for bicyclists and provide the ability for emergency vehicles to pass through traffic queues.
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When will the project start?
The goal, Reczek said, is for the project to begin prep work in 2024. Reczek said the schedule calls for two years to build the new bridge and one year to take down the current bridge. If all goes as planned, the project should be completed by 2027, she said.
Four feet of potential sea level rise has been accounted for in the design of the new bridge. The existing bridge will be demolished and removed upon completion of the new bridge.
SPS New England Inc. previously did work on the Hampton Harbor bridge, including a $6.7 million project to repair the mechanical lift system in 2010. They were also the contractors for the Interstate 495 Haverhill bridge replacement over Merrimack River, Dorchester Avenue over MBTA Red Line, Logan Airport — Terminal C roadways, and the Dedham Street I-95 interchange in Massachusetts.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Harbor bridge $107.5M replacement project gets green light
