Hello! Construction is scheduled to resume for the Winchester Street Reconstruction project on Monday, March 27, 2023. Please drive slowly and watch for equipment and workers in the work zone. Delays are expected as roadway users adjust to new traffic patterns. Closure of the Island Street Bridge to vehicles is tentatively scheduled for April 24, 2023. Once this happens, there will be a number of signed detours in place for road users to find their way to Winchester Street, West Street, and Pearl Street. Maps are available on the project website to help guide road users in advance of the bridge closure. We look forward to making this a successful project this year.

Work planned for next week includes:

• Installation of flashing pedestrian beacons to allow customers to safely cross Winchester Street from Key Road to Riverside Plaza.
• Adjustment of concrete barriers to allow work along the Keene State College parking lot.
• Installation of flexible traffic delineators to reduce travel lanes north of Key Road to one lane in each direction.
• Sidewalk demolition and stormwater pipe installation
• MOST IMPORTANTLY: The City’s contractor, BUR Construction, will put the Key Road roundabout into service by installing barrels around the central island and restricting incoming roads to one lane in all directions. Once in place, it will operate similarly to the single-lane roundabout on Court Street near the hospital. Please see here for what it will look like. Please use caution as you approach the intersection. We have compiled a number of helpful resources for navigating a roundabout on the project website.

Work over the winter included:

• Overhead utility relocations by Eversource, Keene Fire Department, Firstlight, Keene State College, Charter Communications, and Crowncastle. Relocation work continues by Lumen and Consolidated Communications and is expected to be complete by the end of April.
• Planning, contract reconciliation, as-built document preparation.
• Pearl Street staging area cleanup, materials relocated to Winchester Street right-of-way

As always, please check out the project website or the Keene Public Works Facebook page for updates as things progress. Thank you!

If you have any questions regarding this post please call our office at 603-352-6550.

City of Keene, Public Works Department

We are looking for people in the Keene area that are interested in serving on a City Board or Commission. To learn more about what each board is involved in, go to the Boards and Commissions page. Interested? Complete our volunteer form! Questions? Please email plittle@keenenh.gov or call (603) 352-0133.