DPW Press Releases

Beginning on Thursday, November 30th, a detour will be in place redirecting outbound traffic on Bartlett Street. Unitil will be working on Bartlett Street gas lines at the railroad bridge near Islington Street. Due to the constrained roadway configuration and proximity to Islington Street, Bartlett Street will be closed to traffic from Islington Street during working hours for about a week. During evenings and weekends, the roadway will be fully open. Traffic on Bartlett Street heading to Islington Street will not be detoured during this work.

Portsmouth Public Works will hold a public meeting on Thursday, November 30th at 6:30 p.m. in the New Franklin School cafeteria to present findings from traffic data collection on Echo Avenue, Farm Lane, Woodbury Avenue and Rockingham Avenue. City staff will also be seeking feedback from residents on possible options to address cut-through traffic and pedestrian safety on Echo Avenue.

Please contact Eric Eby, Parking and Transportation Engineer, at (603) 766-1415 or ebeby@cityofportsmouth.com with any questions. 

City Hall will be closed Wednesday, November 22 at 1 p.m. and the Library will also closing at 5 p.m. on the same day (Wednesday).

The City Hall, Department of Public Works, Library and Senior Activity Center will be all closed on Thursday, November 23rd and Friday, November 24th in recognition of Thanksgiving.

The Spinnaker Point Recreation Center and Indoor Pool will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd.

Trash and recycling collection scheduled on Thursday will be collected on Wednesday (November 22) instead.

A public input meeting for the Maplewood Avenue Downtown Complete Street Project will be held on Monday, November 13th at 7 p.m. in the School Board Conference Room at City Hall. 

The City of Portsmouth’s Department of Public Works employed the services of two University of New Hampshire students who interned in their Geographic Information System (GIS) department this year. Working under the guidance of the City’s GIS Coordinator, Jamie McCarty, Taylor Patterson and Jacob Kostandin used global positioning equipment, cameras and own observations to inspect the City’s water infrastructure and compile data for other City initiatives.

The Portsmouth Department of Public Works will hold its biannual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, October 28th at the Public Works facility at 680 Peverly Hill Road. Residents of Portsmouth, Greenland and Newington are encouraged to bring household chemicals for safe disposal between 8:00 a.m. and noon. Proof of residency is required..

The Portsmouth Plains Playground, located on the corner of Middle Road and Islington Street, is temporarily closed due to a bee infestation. Public Works is currently treating this issue and will notify the community when it reopens. In the meantime, residents are advised to keep their families away from this area.

The Water Department will begin their twice annual routine hydrant flushing of the City’s 190 miles of water mains to remove sediment buildup on Monday, October 16th. This work will occur on both public and private hydrants spanning New Castle, Rye, Greenland, Newington and Portsmouth, lasting about six to eight weeks. Between 8:00 p.m. and midnight, Monday through Thursday, crews will open select fire hydrants, releasing water with enough velocity to carry sediment out of the pipes. While flushing can result in discolorations to tap water, the water remains safe for residents to drink.

Portsmouth’s Water Division issues a monthly Water Supply Status Report to keep customers appraised of the current water supply conditions. This resource provides customers detailed information on any potential water restrictions, demand, precipitation, groundwater levels, river flows and reservoir levels to make customers aware not only of the current conditions but to also bring awareness to their water use.

On Wednesday, October 11th, weather permitting, pavement crack sealing operations are scheduled to begin in Portsmouth. The following roads and neighborhoods have been selected for treatment, and will be completed as time and budget allows:

• Maple Haven Neighborhood
• Market Street (from Albacore Way to Interstate 95)
• South Street (from Lafayette Road to Junkins Avenue)
• Jones Avenue
• Elwyn Park Neighborhood

*Additional roads may be added if schedule and budget allow.