FRIDAY, OCT. 1, 2021
Traffic backups on Central Avenue near hospital expected next week 

 
Next week, the project contractor plans to install new water main pipes on Central Avenue by Lowell Avenue. The contractor plans to lay pipe from Lowell Avenue heading north on Central Avenue near Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.
 
Only one lane of traffic will be passable through the project area during daytime work hours, which flaggers will alternate. The work is anticipated to create significant traffic backups. Motorists who can avoid the area entirely are encouraged to do so.
 
Work may shift south of Lowell Avenue later in the week to complete the water main installation on Central Avenue between Lowell Avenue and Abbey Sawyer Memorial Drive. The work on that section of Central Avenue was postponed this week to allow the contractor to install a temporary water line between hydrants on Abbey Sawyer Memorial Drive and Old Rollinsford Road, providing better water system redundancy to the area.

The previous detour will be in effect when the contractor resumes work on that section of Central Avenue. Southbound Central Avenue traffic will again be diverted around the project area via Lowell Avenue, Mount Vernon Street and Ash Street. Northbound Central Avenue traffic will continue through the work area.
 
For more information, contact Community Services at 603-516-6450

Anticipated work schedule for week of Oct. 4:

Monday, Oct. 4 - Thursday, Oct. 7: Install 16-inch water main in Central Avenue, beginning at Lowell Avenue and working northward. No water shutdowns are anticipated.

Friday, Oct. 8: Temporary patch paving on the week's work areas.

The work schedule may change depending on conditions on the ground. The City of Dover will provide as much advanced notice as possible for significant schedule changes.
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 was completed for the season earlier this week.

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.