Keene Braces for a Week of Road Work, Utility Projects and Closures

City officials are reminding drivers to reduce speed in work zones, follow posted instructions and stay alert for workers and equipment.

Keene, N.H. will see a wide range of construction activity beginning Monday, with city crews and contractors moving ahead on utility upgrades, paving, bridge work and drainage repairs that are expected to affect travel and parking in several parts of town.

On Aldrich Road, the Highway Division is set to replace a drainage culvert starting Monday. The roadway will be shut to through traffic during the project, and a detour will guide drivers around the work zone. Officials expect that job to take about two days.

Belvedere Road is next on the paving schedule, with work beginning Tuesday and continuing for roughly three days. Traffic will be allowed through the area, but it will be controlled by alternating one-way movement while crews are on site.

The largest concentration of activity is centered on Central Square, where both Liberty Utilities and Casella Construction are scheduled to work. Liberty Utilities is continuing gas main installation on the east side near City Hall, Washington Street and Roxbury Street. Parking next to City Hall will not be available while crews are active, and the Washington Street exit from Central Square will be closed during construction periods. Detours may be used as needed.

On the opposite side of the square, Casella Construction is expected to begin work Monday on a new water main. That phase will also bring parking limits and possible traffic shifts or detours around the site. Beginning Wednesday, the sidewalk along the east side of City Hall will be saw-cut to prepare for the water main work, a task projected to take about two days. Both projects are planned so that traffic and parking can return to normal at the end of each workday.

Reconstruction is also continuing on Marlboro Street between Main Street and Eastern Avenue. Bazin Brothers Trucking will be handling structure adjustments, curb installation and sidewalk pouring during the week. Drivers should expect traffic to be managed through alternating one-way flow or temporary two-way shifts in the construction area.

At the George Street Bridge replacement project, another stage begins Monday when New England Infrastructure starts installing a new water main. George Street will stay closed to traffic, and motorists must continue using the posted detour for the duration of the work, which is expected to last about 15 weeks.

Nearby, the Transportation Heritage Trail trailhead on Eastern Avenue will remain under preparation for paving. Gordon’s Property Services and Maintenance is laying gravel as part of the setup, and the trailhead parking area will stay closed while the work is underway. That portion of the project should take about two weeks, with completion of the larger trail effort expected in October.

Parking is also affected at the City Hall parking garage, which will remain closed through Sept. 4 while Structural Preservation Systems applies a traffic membrane to the deck. The work is being done overnight, and reopening will depend on weather conditions.

In the Key Road area, Park Construction is scheduled to continue work beginning Monday, including paving the Staples, State Offices and Brickhouse parking lots. Crews will also finish restoration, cleanup and remaining work on the box culvert, catch basins and tributary culverts in and behind the Keene Cinema Plaza. Parking and lane restrictions may shift as the project moves forward, and the work is expected to be completed by Sept. 4.

City officials are reminding drivers to reduce speed in work zones, follow posted instructions and stay alert for workers and equipment. Temporary delays and parking changes are expected throughout the week.