Freight Planning

Freight bottlenecks in the SNHPC region and statewide were determined to be mostly along non-interstate arterial and collector roadways. Therefore, these roads indicate there are bottleneck concerns with fewer through-traffic miles, meaning bottleneck issues on NH roadways are a “first and last mile” freight delivery issue. SNHPC and NHDOT see opportunities for improvement through enhancements that provide better access for trucks and delivery vehicles, and travel time delay reductions through improvements to regional bottleneck locations.

SNHPC will be convening a group of freight stakeholders in the next 6 months to begin a process to discuss existing and increasing challenges with capacity issues such as bottlenecks in freight and transportation, growing needs such as logistics centers, and the future issues with autonomous truck- and drone-based (land and aerial) freight deliveries. If you are interested, please contact Carl Eppich at SNHPC (ceppich@snhpc.org).

A background map focused on the eastern edge of Manchester into Auburn illustrating different levels of truck congestion along Candia Road

There are 20 segments with associated truck bottleneck congestion in the SNHPC region. The following are the SNHPC region’s top priorities:

  1. NH Route 101from the intersection of NH Route 101/114 in Bedford east to the SNHPC regional boundary at the Candia/Raymond town line – Both inbound and outbound commodity flow data reflect the importance of NH Route 101 as an east-west freight traffic corridor within the SNHPC region and beyond. While the SNHPC MPO is only recommending that the limited access section of NH Route 101 be designated as a Critical Urban Freight Corridor (CUFC), identified freight traffic issues include capacity concerns west through Bedford into the Nashua region. Additionally, the interchange of NH Route 101/I-93 was identified as a freight bottleneck.
  2. Bedford/Manchester/Londonderry: Raymond Wieczorek Drive and Pettengill Roadthe entire length – This important route links the F.E. Everett Turnpike and air freight operations at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Raymond Wieczorek Drive is one of the few true intermodal freight connectors in New Hampshire. Pettengill Road provides additional freight connectivity in this area in Londonderry and serves one of the only areas in New Hampshire specifically developed through land use planning to be a hub of logistics, warehousing, and freight movement.
  3. Hooksett: NH Route 28 Bypass – from NH Route 101 Exit 1 to U.S. Route 3 in Hooksett – The only road in New Hampshire officially signed as a “Bypass,” permissive signage effectively encourages all traffic, including trucks, to use this roadway to avoid other congested areas. The segment between NH Route 101 Exit 1 to U.S. Route 3 in Hooksett was specifically identified as a potential CUFC because it serves significant freight traffic generators on the east side of Manchester north into Hooksett. Capacity and congestion resulting in bottlenecks are the key freight traffic concerns on this segment. Recently, two warehousing centers for freight logistics were being considered between Exit 11 on the Turnpike and West River Road (U.S. Route 3).
  4. Manchester: NH Route 3A/Brown Avenuefrom I-293 Exit 2 to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport – NH Route 3A/Brown Avenue provides a direct connection between Interstate 293 and air freight operations at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. The identified segment of NH Route 3A/Brown Avenue also includes freight generators of regional and statewide significance, including a UPS warehousing/logistics center. Congestion is the primary freight traffic concern on this segment.
  5. Manchester: Candia Roadfrom I-93 Exit 6 to East Industrial Park Drive – This short segment provides freight traffic connectivity between the I-93 mainline and a regionally significant area of warehousing and industrial development on East Industrial Park Drive in Manchester. Freight bottlenecks at the I-93 Exit 6 interchange are the primary freight traffic concern on this segment.

Although not yet constructed, the planned new I-93 Exit 4A “Connector Road” connecting I-93 to Tsienneto Road would merit consideration as a CUFC given the project is intended to help improve freight traffic connectivity to I-93 for commercial and industrially-zoned lands in both Derry and Londonderry.

Listed below are the 15 other roadway segments in the SNHPC region. Going forward, SNHPC staff will be monitoring these in addition to the five top regional priorities discussed above.

  • Bedford: Kilton Road – Connection 0.2 miles long between US 3 and NH Route 101
  • Londonderry/Derry: NH Route 102/ Nashua Rd.– Segment 6.4 miles long between NH Route 128 and NH Route 28
  • Windham: NH Route 111/Salem Rd. – Segment 7.4 miles long between NH Route 128 and NH Route 28
  • Goffstown/Bedford: NH Route 114 – Segment 7.1 miles long between NH Route 101 and NH Route 114
  • Londonderry: NH Route 28/Rockingham Rd. – Segment 1.5 miles long between NH Route 128 and I-93
  • Manchester: NH Route 28/S. Willow St. – Segment 5.6 miles long between NH Route 28A and South Beech St.
  • Windham: NH Route 28/S. Broadway – Segment .4 miles from Salem town line to NH Route 111
  • Manchester: NH Route 3A Brown Ave – Segment 2.9 miles long from Airport Rd. to I-293
  • Manchester: Queen City Ave – Segment 0.3 miles long from Elm St. to S. Willow St.
  • Hooksett/Manchester: US Route 3/Hooksett Rd. – Segment 2.7 miles long from Beech St. to Alice Ave.
  • Manchester/Bedford: US Route 3/Queen City Ave – Segment 7.0 miles long from Merrimack town line to W. Bridge St.
  • Manchester: Valley St. – Segment 0.9 miles long east of S. Maple St.
  • Manchester: W. Bridge St. – Segment 1.0 mile long from Elm St. to McGregor St.
  • Hooksett/Manchester: NH Route 3A/W. River Rd. – Segment 1.7 miles long from Hackett Hill Rd. to I-93
  • Manchester: NH Route 3A/ W. Hancock St. – Segment 0.4 miles long from Second St. to Varney St.
  • Hooksett: US Route 3/ Hooksett Rd. – Segment 6.9 miles long from NH Route 3A to Main St.
  • Londonderry: Airport Rd. – Segment 0.5 miles long east of NH Route 3A
  • Hooksett: NH Route 3A/W. River Rd. – Segment 1.2 miles from Hackett Hill Rd. to Main St.