FRIDAY, SEPT. 17, 2021
Daytime work resumes next week

Detour for southbound Central Avenue traffic
 
The Central Avenue North Water Improvements contractor will shift back to daytime work beginning Monday, Sept. 20.

For the next few weeks, the contractor is focused on installing water main pipes from Lowell Avenue to Abbey Sawyer Memorial Drive.
 
To help reduce traffic queues and wait times through the project area, a detour will be in operation during work hours. The detour is anticipated to remain in place for about three weeks.

Southbound Central Avenue traffic will be diverted via Lowell Avenue or Abbott Street to Mount Vernon Street to rejoin Central Avenue via Reservoir, Ash, Hough or Sixth streets, highlighted green in the below map. This traffic diversion will require temporary parking restrictions posted along portions of Mount Vernon Street to accommodate larger vehicles and transit buses.
 
Northbound traffic will continue to travel through the work zone, highlighted in blue in the below map. Motorists who can avoid the area entirely are encouraged to do so.
The orange circle on the map shows the project area for the next few weeks and the section of Central Avenue where southbound traffic will be detoured. Beginning Monday, Sept. 20, southbound Central Avenue traffic will be detoured during work hours on Lowell Avenue or Abbott Street to Mount Vernon Street and then to Central Avenue via Revivor, Ash, Hough or Sixth streets. The southbound detour is highlighted in green. Northbound Central Avenue traffic will proceed on Central Avenue through the highlighted blue area.
Project overview
The Central Avenue North Water Improvements Project replaces two sections of water mains. One is a 133-year-old 14-inch water main from Lowell Avenue to Abbey Sawyer Memorial Drive, a critical piece of the City of Dover’s water system infrastructure. The other is an undersized six-inch water main from Glenwood Avenue to Lowell Avenue installed in 1927. Both mains will be replaced with 16-inch ductile iron pipes that are expected to last the next 100-150 years. The project will significantly improve reliability and fire flow capacity. The improvements will also provide better interconnection between the City’s two pressure zones, increasing the water system’s reliability throughout the City.

The project is anticipated to be substantially complete by mid to late December, weather permitting. A complete street paving overlay will occur next spring.

After a competitive bid process, the City Council awarded the construction contract to N. Granese & Sons, Inc. of Salem, Massachusetts, the same contractor as the Washington and Main Water Improvements Project that is nearing completion.

The project is expected to create traffic backups in and near the project area. Residents and businesses in the construction area with questions or concerns should contact Deputy Community Services Director Bill Boulanger at b.boulanger@dover.nh.gov or 516-6450. Boulanger is the project manager.

The City of Dover provides frequent email updates about the project to help residents and businesses plan for disruption along Central Avenue. To sign-up for these updates, visit https://bit.ly/dovernewsletters, add “Project update: Central Avenue North Water Improvements Project” to your current email subscription list.
The above map shows the project area for the replacement of the water main along Central Avenue from Glennwood Avenue to Abbey Sawyer Memorial Drive, the entrance to Garrison Hill.