FRIDAY, May 6, 2022
Southbound Central Avenue detour
in effect next week

Lowell Ave to be closed to through traffic on May 9

Next week, the Central Avenue North Water Improvements contractor will complete mainline trench restoration on upper Central Avenue and begin trench restoration for individual lateral connections. The work will require a combination of alternating traffic and a detour for southbound Central Avenue motorists depending on the work area. 

Planned traffic control schedule for the week of May 9

Morning of Monday, May 9

  • Work is on Central Avenue in front of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital and on Lowell Avenue.
  • Central Avenue traffic will be one-way, alternated by flaggers, through the work area.
  • Lowell Avenue will be closed to through traffic from Central Avenue to Mount Vernon Street. Local access will be available via Mount Vernon Street.

Midday May 9 through Thursday, May 12

  • Work area is between Lowell Avenue and Abbey Sawyer Memorial Drive.
  • Southbound Central Avenue traffic will be detoured around the project area via Lowell Avenue and Mount Vernon Street. 
  • Northbound traffic will travel through the work area; motorists should anticipate lane shifts. 

Friday, May 13

  • The contractor will begin trench restoration for individual lateral connections on Central Avenue's east side (hospital/Hannaford side).
  • Central Avenue traffic will be one-way, alternated by flaggers, through the work area. 

The schedule may change depending on weather and work conditions. For more information, contact Community Services at 603-516-6450.
Project overview
The Central Avenue North Water Improvements Project replaced 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 Dover's water system infrastructure. The other was a six-inch water main from Glenwood Avenue to Lowell Avenue installed in 1927. The contractor replaced both mains with 16-inch ductile iron pipes expected to last the next 100-150 years. The project significantly improves reliability and fire flow capacity in the area and creates a better interconnection between the City of Dover's two water pressure zones. The final part of the project is trench restoration, occurring now, and full pavement overlay, to occur later in 2022.

The City Council awarded the construction contract to N. Granese & Sons, Inc. of Salem, Massachusetts, in June 2021, after a competitive bid process. Find more information about the project at its dedicated project page https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/community-services/current-projects/central-avenue-north-water-improvements/.