Hampton Harbor bridge $107.5M replacement underway: Here's what to expect
HAMPTON — Work on the long-awaited replacement of the Route 1A bridge over Hampton/Seabrook Harbor should begin in earnest in four to six weeks.
Considered an integral portion of New Hampshire’s scenic coastal highway, the Neil R. Underwood Memorial Bridge connecting Hampton to Seabrook Beach ranks No. 1 on the state’s “red list” of bridges in desperate need of repair. Built in 1949 and rehabbed about every ten years since 1963. Its deck was replaced in 2010, and emergency repairs were made to its lift mechanism in 2018.
Denis Switzer of the state Department of Transportation said preliminary work on the project to replace the 75-year-old bridge began in June, but residents probably have not noticed.
Once large summer beach crowds dissipate, however, sometime after Labor Day, he said work will begin in earnest, continuing year-round. Construction is scheduled to be ongoing Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
'It needs to be revitalized': Hampton Beach leaders back major Casino redevelopment
What the new bridge will look like
Switzer said the roughly $107.5 million project was designed in a manner that will not require the current bridge to be removed before the new one opens to accept the 18,000 daily vehicles that travel over it during peak summer season.
According to Switzer, the new bridge – to be constructed to the west of the current bridge – will be completed first before the present bridge is removed.
In addition, the new bridge will not be a bascule bridge, or one that lifts open to allow tall boats to pass beneath it. The necessity to open and close the bridge daily presents a considerable roadway traffic problem, especially during tourist season and when it delays emergency responses from police and fire department vehicles.
The new bridge will span 1,300 feet across the Hampton River with a height of 48.06 feet above mean high water. That is tall enough for the region’s large vessels to pass under it.
The new bridge will have 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 allow emergency vehicles to pass through traffic queues.
'No idea this could happen': Mom warns of hypothermia after son’s Hampton Beach scare
When will new Hampton Harbor bridge be completed?
The anticipated completion date for the entire project is June 2028, according to Switzer, but plans have traffic flowing across the new bridge about two years before that in September 2026.
“Between 2026 and 2028, the current bridge will be taken down,” Switzer said.
The cost of the bridge will be 100 percent funded by federal highway funds, according to Switzer. The cost of the bridge is nearly double its 2021 estimate of $58 million and more than DOT’s 2023 cost adjustment of $78 million.
When bids for the job were opened early this year, the lowest exceeded the 2023 projected costs by 40 percent. DOT commissioner William Cass attributed that to “the complexity of the project along with the inflationary pressure of the current market.”
In mid-March, the state Executive Council approved the $107.5 million contract for its replacement, awarded to the low bidder, SPS New England Inc. of nearby Salisbury, Massachusetts. The only other bid received was from Woolwich, Maine’s Reed & Reed, at $119 million.
SPS New England is familiar with the Underwood Bridge, having worked on it previously, including a $6.7 million project to repair the mechanical lift system in 2010.
More: Ex-New England Patriot brings Beach Football League to Hampton Beach
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Harbor bridge $107.5M replacement underway
