The Roads Too Often Traveled

After a rough winter, many NH roads resemble Swiss cheese. Road crews spring up faster than the flowers once warm weather hits NH, and none too soon for drivers trying to avoid potholes.

The NH Department of Transportation takes on about 100 road projects annually, from repair work to projects included on its 10-year transportation plan, says spokesperson Bill Boynton. A coalition of associations in the state is trying to convince state and local officials more needs to be done to improve NH's aging transportation infrastructure. Called A Safer Road to Tomorrow, the coalition released a DVD earlier this year, The Right Road to a Sound Future in which it argues that the state is facing a transportation crisis. It sent a copy of the DVD to all state legislators, and municipal and regional planning officials.

In the DVD, the coalition argues that NH's infrastructure is deteriorating and revenue to maintain and improve highways, roads and bridges is decreasing. It states that in NH, 62 percent of roads are in poor to fair condition, 32 percent of bridges are rated below standard, and 45 percent of bridges are rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete (that does not necessarily mean they are unsafe), according to a 2007 road survey from The Road Information Project (TRIP), a national transportation research group. The DVD also points out that NH's municipally owned bridges have been rated the fifth worst in the country by Better Roads Magazine in 2006.

The Safer Road to Tomorrow project began in 2004 as a partnership between The Associated General Contractors of NH, Safety & Health Council of Northern New England; NH Good Roads Association; NH Association of Chiefs of Police; and the NH Lodging and Restaurant Association. In New England, we have older infrastructure than other parts of the country. Safety was becoming an issue with the increased traffic in New Hampshire. This needs to be one of the top three issues for the state, says Gary Abbott of Associated General Contractors of NH.

Boynton agrees that NH's population growth and increased traffic requires investment in its roads and bridges. Safety is important to us, he says, adding that tremendous increases in construction costs make it difficult to meet all of the state's transportation needs. That's why NH's updated 10-year transportation plan focuses more on maintenance and preservation. Boynton says even if the state doubled the amount of money it spends on paving and resurfacing that it spent in 2000, it would cover the same amount of miles as was done under the 2000 budget due to rising costs.