Transportation
New Hampshire Bridge Reopens after Inspection Clears Structural Safety Concerns
The heavily traveled Queen City Bridge in Manchester, N.H recently reopened following nearly four days of closure that allowed for thorough structural inspection.
The New Hampshire Dept. of Transportation ordered the bridge closed Sept. 21 after a routine bridge inspection revealed concerns about possible “structural deficiencies,” according to the city’s Dept. of Public Works.
Tim Clougherty, Manchester DPW director, says in a statement, “The additional inspection and testing were conducted to ensure the condition of the bridge was fully understood before it was returned to service.
The more than century-old bridge—a 1,175 ft long, 14-span structure—carries nearly 30,000 vehicles on Route 3 over the Merrimack River and a CSX railroad corridor. The bridge that links Manchester’s east and west sides was reconstructed in 1992.
Meanwhile, 22 miles south of Manchester, a westbound lane on the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Hudson remains closed following a routine NHDOT inspection. The Veterans bridge carries about 37,000 vehicles daily from Hudson to Nashua, across the Merrimack River.
The Veterans bridge inspection a day after the Manchester bridge inspection, found a cracked girder, the Nashua Independent reports on the city’s Facebook page.
Hudson Town officials say they expect to have the bridge fully operational in four to six weeks.
For the Veterans Bridge, Hudson Town Engineer Elvis Dhima told the New Hampshire Union Leader that he contacted the Hudson Board of Selectman, which called a special meeting to authorize emergency funds of about $100,00 for the bridge’s structural repair.
Manchester DPW officials reported signs of rust buildup and a “potential crack” in a truss, WMUR reports. The department adds the issues did not appear to be related to the nearby $360 million Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel project or to any recent bridge repairs.
The stormwater tunnel project launched a 281-ton tunnel boring machine on Aug. 31 on schedule, Ed Pietrasz, Parsons resident engineer, tells ENR. The project has been “unaffected” by ongoing Queen City Bridge inspections, he adds.
The two bridge closures come as the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 is set to expire Sept. 30. Over the life of IIJA from FY 2022 to FY 2026, New Hampshire is set to receive a total of $225.million in Bridge Formula Program funds that help with necessary repairs. The program allows states to set aside15% of each state’s allotment to be reserved for “off system bridges” on public roads, the FHWA says. The federal share for bridges owned by a city, municipality, town or other local agency, the federal share can be 100%
For the two municipally owned bridges, “NHDOT works closely with the communities to provide expertise and guidance” for bridge repairs, says Jennifer Lane, spokeswoman for NHDOT. “We work with Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s office to consider any requests for financial assistance.”
Of the 2,549 bridges in New Hampshire, the state has rated 192 bridges or 8%, as structurally deficient, down from 194 in 2021 according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. The state ranked 15 in the nation for the percentage of structurally deficient bridges, down from 18 in 2024.
However, the association has identified 2,498 bridges in need of repair, up from 2,473 in 2021.
The recent Queen City Bridge inspection follows a 2024 inspection, which reports multiple areas of corrosion and pitting, but no steel truss cracks.
Manchester bridge inspections occur every two years.