Two Intersections Improvements Route 1 Bypass/Coakley Road/Cottage Street, and Market Street at Russell Street

The contract involves improvements at two critical intersections in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, aimed at alleviating congestion and enhancing traffic flow. The first location, along the Route 1 Bypass south of the Portsmouth Traffic Circle, suffers from significant delays caused by closely spaced traffic signals at Coakley Road/Cottage Street and Borthwick Avenue/Hodgdon Way. The project, funded by a CMAQ grant, seeks to evaluate the feasibility of removing the traffic signal at Coakley Road/Cottage Street and prohibiting left turns onto and from the Bypass. Instead, left turns would be rerouted to Borthwick Avenue/Hodgdon Way using a new connector road between Coakley Road and Borthwick Avenue, along with Cate Street following the reconstruction of the Cate Street bridge through a separate local project. This initiative, originally conceived two decades ago, aims to reduce long traffic queues and minimize cut-through traffic in nearby residential neighborhoods. The second focus is the Market Street and Russell Street intersection, an unsignalized gateway to downtown Portsmouth that is expected to experience increased traffic due to recent and upcoming private developments. The City has acquired necessary easements or property for a potential roundabout installation as a way to boost intersection capacity and create an attractive entrance to the downtown area. An engineering study is the initial step to determine the optimal improvement strategy for this site. The solicitation, issued by Portsmouth’s Department of Public Works, calls for expertise in transportation and planning engineering, with responses due by early March 2026. Key contacts for the project include the City Engineer and the Procurement Coordinator, and the contract is listed publicly for procurement consideration.