The traffic shift to the newly constructed and paved portion of the Route 101 bridge over the Contocook River, scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed until Tuesday, Nov. 22.
Zachary Paight, contract administrator for the state Department of Transportation, said the cold weather and remaining snow moisture Thursday morning made it impossible to paint lines on the new pavement.
“We had the pieces in place, but the weather just didn’t cooperate,” he said. “The last thing we want is to have paint on the road that’s going to end up on people’s cars.”
The first phase of construction, which began in December, eliminated the middle turning lane on Route 101 and turned it into a lane for through traffic while crews worked on the eastbound side of the bridge. Paight said that once the shift is complete, work on the other side of the bridge will be similar, starting with demolition work over the winter.
“Late winter, early next spring, we’ll start building the other half,” Paight said, likely late February or early March.
Paight said the project is still on track to be complete by next October.
“We’ve had some mostly material-based delays,” he said, mostly for steel bridge girders. “But other than that, I think things have gone well. Our goal was to have traffic swapped over by Thanksgiving, and we may be a week or so ahead of that.”
Paight thinks the work to shift traffic should all be done in one day. The work will also include marking the pavement and shifting the traffic signal.
The turning lane will remain closed in order to allow two-way traffic on the bridge.
“It’ll be effectively the same thing as it is now, just on the other side of the bridge,” Paight said.
Paight said flaggers and officers will be on site to help move traffic and keep people safe. However, he said there will be a chance of backups.
“We, of course, encourage people to remain alert when traveling through the work, and if they’re able, to find a route around the project that particular day,” he said.