Rte 1 Bypass-Coakley Intersection/Cate St. Bridge

Coakley-Borthwick

 

A public meeting to discuss this project was held on October 22, 2024 at the Senior Activity Center. The video recording and meeting presentation provide more details. 

Background:

The City of Portsmouth has received approval from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) on its $1.2 million Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) project plan for the Route 1 Bypass/Coakley Road/Cottage Street-Borthwick Avenue intersection with the Route 1 Bypass. The City held a public information meeting to discuss the project in detail and to invite public input on the plans on October 22, 2024.

The project is included in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan and is federally funded for 80 percent of the cost. The design, intended to improve traffic flow on the Route 1 Bypass, calls for removing the traffic signal at the intersection of the Route 1 Bypass, Coakley Road and Cottage Street and extending the median on the Route 1 Bypass to prohibit left turns. To provide left-turn access to and from the Bypass for users of Coakley Road, the City will construct a connector road from Coakley Road to Borthwick Avenue.  The Coakley Road culvert will be replaced once the connector road is built.

The goal of the project is to reduce traffic congestion and associated exhaust pollution while improving traffic flow in this area. The City will has already completed construction of a multi-use path along Borthwick Avenue as part of the project. The next steps in the process are to sign a municipal agreement with NHDOT, conduct a property survey and secure the necessary right-of-way for the connector road. 

This traffic study conducted for the West End Yards Project in 2019 includes an analysis of the traffic impacts if the signal at Coakley and Cottage were to be removed. A new full traffic study will be conducted for the signal removal project once a consultant is brought on board.

Cate St bridge

Cate Street Bridge/Culvert 

The 2018 Portsmouth Citywide Bridge Evaluation determined that the Cate Street Bridge is beyond its 50-year design life, cannot handle heavy truck volumes and needs to be replaced. Residents have asked for the bridge to remain open if the median on Route 1 Bypass is extended past Cottage Street to ensure emergency vehicle access to Portsmouth Hospital from the neighborhood. The City Council authorized bonding the replacement project rather than risking failure while awaiting NHDOT state funding. 

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