Press Releases/What’s New

The Pleasant Street Reconstruction Project, which began last summer, is resuming this week. Work will begin at the South Mill Pond tidal outlet on Marcy Street; this work will include the water main replacement under the culvert. Residents' water access will not be affected and they can anticipate this work to be completed by Friday, April 12th.

Public Works crews recently installed a platform ideal for eagle or osprey nesting behind the Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility. The platform, built by Steve Miller of Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, came to fruition thanks to a $1,500 grant from Northeast Utilities, now Eversource, obtained by the City’s Sustainability Department.

Similar to other special City events in the past, those attending 3S Artspace’s (3S) Project Upcycle Runway Event on Saturday, March 30th, will be able to park at the Foundry Place Parking Garage for a discounted rate.

After 22 years with the City of Portsmouth, City Manager John Bohenko has announced his retirement effective January 3, 2020.

John has led an accomplished tenure in Portsmouth, where his fiscal policies and financial acumen resulted in stable and predictable budgeting, as well as five successive increases in the City's bond rating to ultimately result in a AAA bond rating. Portsmouth also maintains the lowest equalized tax rate of all thirteen New Hampshire cities.

City staff, along with their design engineers from McFarland Johnson, will be hosting a public meeting at the Department of Public Works at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27th to review preliminary design plans for Peverly Hill Road.

Detailed inspections of the Kearsarge Way Bridge over the Pan Am railroad tracks is tentatively scheduled to be conducted on Monday, March 25th, depending on weather conditions. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) scanning of the deck will be used to evaluate the condition of the concrete beneath the asphalt pavement, and concrete core samples will be collected to test the strength of the concrete. This work will be conducted from the deck level, with personnel occupying one lane of the bridge for the duration of the work.

Detailed inspections of the Market Street bridges over North Mill Pond are tentatively scheduled to be conducted on Friday, March 22nd, depending on weather conditions.  The inspections will be conducted using a single under-bridge inspection vehicle.

Are you looking for places in Portsmouth for a quiet walk in the woods, a calm kayak or serene stand-up paddle? Want to know how to help keep a special part of Portsmouth cleaner and healthier?

Portsmouth’s Planning and Public Works Departments will be hosting a neighborhood listening session at the New Franklin School Library on Monday, March 11th at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the proposed Cate Street Connector Road to Route 1 Bypass, as well as next steps on the traffic calming initiatives requested for the Bartlett Street area. 

The City of Portsmouth and the United States Air Force are pleased to announce the execution of a contract with Kinsmen Corporation of Hookset, New Hampshire to construct a new water treatment system on the three wells (Smith, Harrison and Haven) that serve the Pease Tradeport.