Meeting to update downtown Jaffrey construction plan slated for Thursday

Hunter Oberst, The Keene Sentinel, N.H.
·2 min read

Sep. 12—JAFFREY — The N.H. Department of Transportation will update residents on the final design for a long-planned construction project in downtown Jaffrey at a meeting set for Thursday.

The presentation is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Jaffrey Fire Department meeting room at 138 Turnpike Road, according to a news release from NHDOT. Residents can also participate in the meeting via Zoom, and find a link for the meeting at www.townofjaffrey.com.

At the meeting, officials will "present the final design and allow the public to ask questions and share their thoughts regarding potential improvements to ensure that the project decisions meet public transportation needs and community goals and protect and enhance the environment," the news release states.

The project, which is meant to eliminate downtown congestion, is slated to replace a five-way intersection — where Main Street, Blake Street, Stratton Road, Turnpike Road (Route 124) and Route 202 converge — with a new roundabout. One "spoke" of that hub would connect with another roundabout via a new bridge over the Contoocook River.

To make way for the changed traffic pattern, state officials plan to demolish two nearby buildings this fall or next spring, according to a recent newsletter on the project from the town and NHDOT. A department spokesperson on Monday afternoon could not provide a more specific timeline for that work.

These buildings previously housed Lab 'n Lager Food & Spirits at 4 Stratton Road and a six-unit apartment building at 15 River St., respectively. The transportation department owns both sites, after acquiring Lab 'n Lager in January and the River Street property from owner Rob Cummings in May, according to town property records.

Work on the state-funded project carries an approximate price tag of $15 million and is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2024, NHDOT spokesman Richard Arcand said Monday.

Hunter Oberst can be reached at 355-8585, or hoberst@keenesentinel.com.