Good Roads in NH

Pineedles · 09-01-2011, 04:39 PM

I have arrived as of 2PM today and I must say that the roads/highways in NH are in great shape! Even the local blacktop country roads are smooth and pothole free. It's a surprise because I live in Connecticut and the roads are still hurting from the winter.

VitaBene · 09-01-2011, 08:30 PM

The State and local towns do a great job on the roads here.

One of the big differences is that in NH, they will pave and shim over the existing pavement warts and all.

In MA or CT they will repair the road to a newer standard. These roads last longer, but it costs much more so roads get repaved less frequently. It really is a philosophical choice.

fatlazyless · 09-02-2011, 06:03 AM

http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...NEWS/709029999

From today's Sept 2 Union Leader: "Report: NH's rural roads are suffering"

If you want to see a road that's suffering, go take a drive up to Waterville Valley, Rt 93-Exit 28 and north onto Route 49, which is the only road in there now that the Forest Service's Tripoli Rd, a ten mile dirt road accessed from Rt 93-Exit 31, has been closed due to the recent flood damage. Tropical Storm Irene caused the Mad River to change course in five locations and eroded away at the road in five locations. It looks to me like the road will have to be moved in two spots because what had been a road is now a newly re-located river; in Campton and at the WV s-curve. At the s-curve, how does a road get moved when the only place to move it is a very tall, and very steep and large hill that's probably made of solid granite.

http://www.visitwatervillevalley.com/map/index.htm

Repairing that s-curve looks to be a very challenging repair. How will it get fixed.....a good question? There is not enough land left between a big steep hill and the river anymore....all the land disappeared into the river....and what's left is a 50' high bluff overlooking the water which swirls below and is probably undercutting the vertical river embankment.

Right now, there's a one lane construction style, traffic light with about a 5-minute wait to drive the one lane-200 yards that's open at the s-curve.

Fixing the Rt 49-WV-s-curve looks like it could well become a job for SUPERMAN! Attention Superman.......you are needed here....to remove a large granite hillside, or to fill in the river, or something!

And, all the land abutting the Mad River, as well as the river itself, belongs to the US Dept of Agriculture-White Mountain National Forest while Rt 49 is property of the State of New Hampshire.
............

Well.......it looks like Superman showed up today: Friday, Sept 2......Audley Construction.....(no website).....has two huge Caterpillar excavators down in the river bed, moving huge boulders around to probably move the water flow away from the s-curve, and back to its old flow location from before Irene. The excavators are cutting a new river channel all through the huge 6' diameter granite boulders which should send the river back to its old location....looks like the plan!

So's.....most likely....the plan will be to move the river flow and restore the embankment so it will support the s-curve with no changes to the roadway.....it will be just like what it was before.....except that now the s-curve will be directly high above the river.....on the water.....as opposed to having trees and land separating the s-curve from the river.......capiche!

This could be the start of a terrific new NH roadway item.....maybe even iconic....a new and improved New Hampshire watery roadside driving location: the "WATERVILLE VALLEY, ROUTE 49, S-CURVE", directly high above the Mad River, as it flows past, about 50-feet below, nestled high up along a climbing hillside ridge, with all the beauteous mountains in the background!

Does anybody else hear new tourist-visiter money driving this Route 49 way, thanks to what Tropical Storm Irene did to the Mad River, or am I just being an optimistic fool?

Altonbayicefishingfool · 12-09-2012, 05:57 PM

Honestly I've never heard "good roads and NH" used in the same sentence. I personally think NH has the worst roads in the country hands down. Ever driven 28 south or Rt 11 north from Alton circle? These are just a few of the many death trap highways in NH. Sad to say I've driven unmaintained dirt roads in the north country that are in better shape.

Belmont Resident · 12-09-2012, 06:47 PM

I do not know what roads are being traveled by those who think they are good.
Talk to anyone who rides a motorcycle in this state and they will tell you.
It has become almost impossible to get from one point in this state to another on back roads and not get beat to $#it.
Highways may be good but who wants to travel down the highway on a bike on a beautiful summer day.
I've lived in Belmont for 12 years and RT-107 has NEVER been paved or had any major repair work done to it.
But in defense almost all the states I travel in have roads in similar shape.
Try Middelton Rd heading out of Wolfeboro towards New Durham. But once you cross the New Durham line it get much better.

chipj29 · 12-10-2012, 09:32 AM

You think the roads are bad in NH? Try the roads in the state just south of us. 93 going through the Wilmington/Woburn area is riddled with potholes, both north and south. The side roads are miserable. I drive Rt 16 into Cambridge, through Medford and Somerville, and that road is rubbish.

Ever drive from NH into Mass in a snow storm, or just after one? The roads up here are typically so much better than there.

I grew up in Mass, and trust me, you don't know how good we have it here in NH on the roads. Drive from NH to Mass every day for 15+ years, and you will know the difference.

nhboat61 · 12-10-2012, 11:59 AM

Come to CT and see terrible roads... especially in the "richest county" in the US !. I love the roads in NH... 16,153,125,109 and all the back roads around Milton/Wakefield.

the mass pike and 495 are terrible as welll, cant wait to make the move full time, so I don't have to travel on those roads all the time.

Belmont Resident · 12-11-2012, 07:08 AM

I cannot speak of the condition of roads in other states.
What I will say is that if you consider NH roads (not highways) to be in good shape then yours must be almost impassable.
While there could very well be some towns that are keeping up with roads, in most instances towns are letting roads degrade to the point where emergency equipment needs more time to respond to calls. This was just the case when the Gilmanton FD said that the condition of Rt-107 added minutes ( I thought they said 8 but not sure) more to response time. I use Rt-107 because it is the most highly visible in my area but all around this area are roads that cannot be traveled at the posted speeds without risk of damage to you vehicle.

In the end it costs us all more in front end alignments and tires.

EllyPoinster · 12-11-2012, 03:08 PM

I'm reminded of a stock comment my town's former highway department director used whenever someone complained: "There's nothing wrong with our roads that money won't fix."

ApS · 12-13-2012, 03:12 AM

Perhaps the recent admonition to add air pressure to tires has affected "the ride".

I don't notice that NH's roads are particularly "bad". Traveling the speed limit could help some...I've had trucks on my bumper when driving "5-over" in blinding rain!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

"...I do not know what roads are being traveled by those who think they are good. Talk to anyone who rides a motorcycle in this state and they will tell you..."

Try Middelton Rd heading out of Wolfeboro towards New Durham. But once you cross the New Durham line it get much better.

1) "Bike Month" still attracts plenty of riders.

2) Middleton Center attracts heavy logging-trucks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chipj29

"...You think the roads are bad in NH? Try the roads in the state just south of us..."

Where every other radio advertisement is for "replacement windshields"?

Belmont Resident · 12-13-2012, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Perhaps the recent admonition to add air pressure to tires has affected "the ride".

I don't notice that NH's roads are particularly "bad". Traveling the speed limit could help some...I've had trucks on my bumper when driving "5-over" in blinding rain!

1) "Bike Month" still attracts plenty of riders.

2) Middleton Center attracts heavy logging-trucks.

Where every other radio advertisement is for "replacement windshields"?

Take my approach, I normally travel 5 over and no more around town. When I get tailgated I slow down to the speed limit or slightly below. That really seems to piss them off.
The bike event attracts people and always will regardless of the roads, it isn't about the roads it is about the event.

OK so it attract heavy trucks, that is no excuse not to repair it!!!!

As for the comment about nothing a little money will not fix. How about utilizing manpower. I see 10 guys standing around all most state/town jobs while one or two work. Union, where one guy handles a shovel, one a rake and one to oversee and the rest drinking coffee. To bad they couldn't all multitask then you wouldn't need 10 guys to do a job that 3 can none union workers can do, for a lot less.

Kamper · 12-15-2012, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

... When I get tailgated I slow down to the speed limit or slightly below. ...

I do the same thing. I figure they can't see through me so if I need to stop suddenly, there will be less damage if they smack my tail at a lower speed.

Belmont Resident · 12-15-2012, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamper

I do the same thing. I figure they can't see through me so if I need to stop suddenly, there will be less damage if they smack my tail at a lower speed.

I wish I could say that was my reasoning. I do it because I'm irritated that someone has to be right on my bumper so I slow down because I know there is a really good chance that irritates them.

fatlazyless · 06-05-2013, 08:17 AM

State Route 49 in Campton, Thornton, and Waterville Valley; two beautiful, silky smooth lanes with a three foot wide, bicycle style shoulder room on both sides as well, that winds past twelve miles of the White Mountain National Forest, a few private homes, and the Mad River. www.watervillevalley.org may be the "Town at the End of the Road", but getting there from Exit 28 is now one heck of a s-m-o-o-t-h road!

Was it a rough road before it got repaved? No, it was a pretty danged good smooth road before, but now it is a super smooth road! One unbelievably smooth and clean paving, Route 49 job, for 12-miles of jogger, roller blade, bicycle, motorcycle, or automobile paradise, winding along next to the Mad River and the W.M.N.F. from www.continentalpaving.com. Almost all down-hill going one way, and all up-hill going the other.

09-01-2011, 04:39 PM	#1
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,539 Thanks: 1,069 Thanked 667 Times in 366 Posts	Good Roads in NH I have arrived as of 2PM today and I must say that the roads/highways in NH are in great shape! Even the local blacktop country roads are smooth and pothole free. It's a surprise because I live in Connecticut and the roads are still hurting from the winter.

09-02-2011, 06:03 AM	#3
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,667 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 299 Thanked 988 Times in 720 Posts	http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...NEWS/709029999 From today's Sept 2 Union Leader: "Report: NH's rural roads are suffering" If you want to see a road that's suffering, go take a drive up to Waterville Valley, Rt 93-Exit 28 and north onto Route 49, which is the only road in there now that the Forest Service's Tripoli Rd, a ten mile dirt road accessed from Rt 93-Exit 31, has been closed due to the recent flood damage. Tropical Storm Irene caused the Mad River to change course in five locations and eroded away at the road in five locations. It looks to me like the road will have to be moved in two spots because what had been a road is now a newly re-located river; in Campton and at the WV s-curve. At the s-curve, how does a road get moved when the only place to move it is a very tall, and very steep and large hill that's probably made of solid granite. http://www.visitwatervillevalley.com/map/index.htm Repairing that s-curve looks to be a very challenging repair. How will it get fixed.....a good question? There is not enough land left between a big steep hill and the river anymore....all the land disappeared into the river....and what's left is a 50' high bluff overlooking the water which swirls below and is probably undercutting the vertical river embankment. Right now, there's a one lane construction style, traffic light with about a 5-minute wait to drive the one lane-200 yards that's open at the s-curve. Fixing the Rt 49-WV-s-curve looks like it could well become a job for SUPERMAN! Attention Superman.......you are needed here....to remove a large granite hillside, or to fill in the river, or something! And, all the land abutting the Mad River, as well as the river itself, belongs to the US Dept of Agriculture-White Mountain National Forest while Rt 49 is property of the State of New Hampshire. ............ Well.......it looks like Superman showed up today: Friday, Sept 2......Audley Construction.....(no website).....has two huge Caterpillar excavators down in the river bed, moving huge boulders around to probably move the water flow away from the s-curve, and back to its old flow location from before Irene. The excavators are cutting a new river channel all through the huge 6' diameter granite boulders which should send the river back to its old location....looks like the plan! So's.....most likely....the plan will be to move the river flow and restore the embankment so it will support the s-curve with no changes to the roadway.....it will be just like what it was before.....except that now the s-curve will be directly high above the river.....on the water.....as opposed to having trees and land separating the s-curve from the river.......capiche! This could be the start of a terrific new NH roadway item.....maybe even iconic....a new and improved New Hampshire watery roadside driving location: the "WATERVILLE VALLEY, ROUTE 49, S-CURVE", directly high above the Mad River, as it flows past, about 50-feet below, nestled high up along a climbing hillside ridge, with all the beauteous mountains in the background! Does anybody else hear new tourist-visiter money driving this Route 49 way, thanks to what Tropical Storm Irene did to the Mad River, or am I just being an optimistic fool? __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake! Last edited by fatlazyless; 09-02-2011 at 11:04 AM.

12-09-2012, 05:57 PM	#4
Altonbayicefishingfool Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 153 Thanks: 19 Thanked 52 Times in 30 Posts	Honestly I've never heard "good roads and NH" used in the same sentence. I personally think NH has the worst roads in the country hands down. Ever driven 28 south or Rt 11 north from Alton circle? These are just a few of the many death trap highways in NH. Sad to say I've driven unmaintained dirt roads in the north country that are in better shape. Last edited by Altonbayicefishingfool; 12-09-2012 at 10:55 PM.

12-09-2012, 06:47 PM	#5
Belmont Resident Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Belmont NH but prefer Jackman Maine Posts: 1,857 Thanks: 491 Thanked 409 Times in 251 Posts	I could not agree more. I do not know what roads are being traveled by those who think they are good. Talk to anyone who rides a motorcycle in this state and they will tell you. It has become almost impossible to get from one point in this state to another on back roads and not get beat to $#it. Highways may be good but who wants to travel down the highway on a bike on a beautiful summer day. I've lived in Belmont for 12 years and RT-107 has NEVER been paved or had any major repair work done to it. But in defense almost all the states I travel in have roads in similar shape. Try Middelton Rd heading out of Wolfeboro towards New Durham. But once you cross the New Durham line it get much better. __________________ "better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, then a long life spent in a miserable way.."

12-10-2012, 09:32 AM	#6
chipj29 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bow Posts: 1,874 Thanks: 521 Thanked 308 Times in 162 Posts	You think the roads are bad in NH? Try the roads in the state just south of us. 93 going through the Wilmington/Woburn area is riddled with potholes, both north and south. The side roads are miserable. I drive Rt 16 into Cambridge, through Medford and Somerville, and that road is rubbish. Ever drive from NH into Mass in a snow storm, or just after one? The roads up here are typically so much better than there. I grew up in Mass, and trust me, you don't know how good we have it here in NH on the roads. Drive from NH to Mass every day for 15+ years, and you will know the difference. __________________ Getting ready for winter!

The Following User Says Thank You to Pineedles For This Useful Post:
VitaBene (09-01-2011)

09-01-2011, 08:30 PM	#2
VitaBene Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 3,543 Thanks: 1,579 Thanked 1,610 Times in 824 Posts	The State and local towns do a great job on the roads here. One of the big differences is that in NH, they will pave and shim over the existing pavement warts and all. In MA or CT they will repair the road to a newer standard. These roads last longer, but it costs much more so roads get repaved less frequently. It really is a philosophical choice.

The Following User Says Thank You to Altonbayicefishingfool For This Useful Post:
Belmont Resident (12-09-2012)

12-10-2012, 11:59 AM	#7
nhboat61 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Wakefield NH Posts: 117 Thanks: 52 Thanked 16 Times in 13 Posts	Come to CT and see terrible roads... especially in the "richest county" in the US !. I love the roads in NH... 16,153,125,109 and all the back roads around Milton/Wakefield. the mass pike and 495 are terrible as welll, cant wait to make the move full time, so I don't have to travel on those roads all the time.

12-11-2012, 07:08 AM	#8
Belmont Resident Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Belmont NH but prefer Jackman Maine Posts: 1,857 Thanks: 491 Thanked 409 Times in 251 Posts	Not comparing I cannot speak of the condition of roads in other states. What I will say is that if you consider NH roads (not highways) to be in good shape then yours must be almost impassable. While there could very well be some towns that are keeping up with roads, in most instances towns are letting roads degrade to the point where emergency equipment needs more time to respond to calls. This was just the case when the Gilmanton FD said that the condition of Rt-107 added minutes ( I thought they said 8 but not sure) more to response time. I use Rt-107 because it is the most highly visible in my area but all around this area are roads that cannot be traveled at the posted speeds without risk of damage to you vehicle. In the end it costs us all more in front end alignments and tires. __________________ "better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, then a long life spent in a miserable way.."

12-11-2012, 03:08 PM	#9
EllyPoinster Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 160 Thanks: 13 Thanked 25 Times in 20 Posts	I'm reminded of a stock comment my town's former highway department director used whenever someone complained: "There's nothing wrong with our roads that money won't fix."

06-05-2013, 08:17 AM	#14
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,667 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 299 Thanked 988 Times in 720 Posts	....repaving State Route 49! State Route 49 in Campton, Thornton, and Waterville Valley; two beautiful, silky smooth lanes with a three foot wide, bicycle style shoulder room on both sides as well, that winds past twelve miles of the White Mountain National Forest, a few private homes, and the Mad River. www.watervillevalley.org may be the "Town at the End of the Road", but getting there from Exit 28 is now one heck of a s-m-o-o-t-h road! Was it a rough road before it got repaved? No, it was a pretty danged good smooth road before, but now it is a super smooth road! One unbelievably smooth and clean paving, Route 49 job, for 12-miles of jogger, roller blade, bicycle, motorcycle, or automobile paradise, winding along next to the Mad River and the W.M.N.F. from www.continentalpaving.com. Almost all down-hill going one way, and all up-hill going the other. __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!