NH Route 125 Improvements

Carrying upwards of 19,000 vehicles per day, NH Route 125 in the vicinity of Exit 7 of NH Route 101 is a key link in the area’s transportation network. This corridor is the main access for commuters to NH Route 101 and also serves the major commercial development in the area. The intermixing of retail/commercial traffic with through traffic results in congestion and delays that greatly impede traffic operations. This 2.8-mile portion of NH Route 125 includes many intersections (signalized and un-signalized) and is abutted by residential and business properties.

The objective of the project is to improve the safety and mobility of all users by applying “Complete Streets Principles.” The goal is to achieve an appropriate balance between the needs of motorized, non-motorized, and transit users of the corridor. Various alternatives for the corridor were evaluated and are undergoing a thorough review and analysis of their impact to traffic operations, right-of-way, and environmental resources. A Public Advisory Committee (PAC) is helping to define the project’s purpose and needs and assisting in guiding the alternatives analysis as the project moves forward.

Stormwater treatment and drainage design is critical to this project. Stormwater treatment BMPs are being designed to meet federal MS4 criteria. Multiple BMPs along the 2.8-mile stretch of highway are needed to treat the extra impermeable surfaces created by the widened areas.

In conjunction with the overall corridor improvements that are being developed based upon the Traffic Study, specific intersections are being studied to determine appropriate safety and capacity improvements. One of the main considerations of the design is to increase the operational efficiency and safety along the corridor. This will be accomplished through a variety of improvements including the addition of lanes, development of consistent cross sections along segments, intersection reconfigurations, and access management (i.e., consolidation or elimination of access points).