A new interactive map of the I93 widening project through Bow and Concord is available at www.bow-concord.com. (Courtesy Photo)
In the works for about two decades, locals got a recent update on the state’s plans to make improvements to the major interstates in Concord.
The current design calls for a three-lane highway going through the city that will widen to four lanes in certain higher traffic areas where vehicles are getting on and off exits.
Starting in 2025, project leaders said they’ll be hosting a string of public meetings and town halls, as well as finalizing environmental impact work. Construction on bridges is anticipated to begin in 2029. Work on I-89 Exit 1 and the I-93 corridor, starting with exits 12-14, would begin in 2031 and 2032. The rough completion date is set for 2038.
A new interactive map with project designs is available on the project website bow-concord.com.
Here are the latest project updates:
Overall goals
An additional travel lane and longer auxiliary lanes – stretches of road where vehicles are getting on and off the highway between exits — are being incorporated into the stretch of I-93 through Concord.
Several red-listed bridges, including one in Bow at Exit 1 and the 393 bridge over Interstate 93, would be being replaced as part of the first phase of construction, starting in 2029.
The project is being funded with federal money, and carries a $370 million price tag.
I-89 Exit 1 and the I-93 interchange in Bow
Ramps are being added and split to prevent “weaving” of cars getting on and off the highway in the same spot.
Direct access to Route 3A from I-89 in Bow will end, and a new road connecting Exit 1 with 3A will be added instead.
At I-93 Exit 12
In both directions, the 12N/12S model will be replaced with a single exit — what is now 12S going North on the highway and what is now 12N while heading South will be scrapped in favor of one exit allowing divers to choose either direction.
These exits will end at roundabouts on Route 3A facilitating traffic towards both Concord and Bow.
At Exit 13
This exit was redesigned and rebuilt with the major project in mind, so it doesn’t need much adjustment, project leaders said.
New traffic lights on Manchester Street will be added, including at the Old Turnpike Road intersection.
At Exit 14
Access to the Northbound ramp would only be available to cars traveling westbound from the Loudon Road side. Cars coming from the downtown side would need to access I-93 North at Exit 15 or elsewhere.
The state will add connectivity from the Merrimack River Greenway Trail from the end of the Loudon Road Bridge — likely to be replaced by the city in the next few years — to the other side of the highway. What form that connection will take will be decided later by the City Council.
A new road will connect the end of Stickney Avenue, near the Concord Coach bus station, to Constitution Avenue, near the Friendly Kitchen. A traffic light will go in at that new intersection.
Exit 15
Like Exit 12, exits are being combined. A single Exit 15 will be used going both north and south that will then split so that drivers can access I393 in both directions.
What about city projects?
Concord is planning multiple potential projects in conjunction with the state’s work, including the extension of Storrs Street further North to Constitution Avenue and the addition of a bridge or deck park over the interstate towards the Merrimack River. They’re in exploratory stages.
The city is currently planning to replace the Loudon Road bridge, which is red-listed, as part of next year’s budget. Carrying a total price tag of $23.2 million — around $18 million of which would be paid for by federal money $2.6 million in city taxes and 1.2 million in bridge reserves from the state — a new bridge would add a 14-foot wide designated crossing for cyclists and pedestrians as part of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail.
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