Crews in Jaffrey, N.H., have started work on a multiyear project to build a new bridge over the Contoocook River, along with road upgrades and two roundabouts to improve traffic flow and safety in the downtown area. The project is expected to be completed by May 2028.
Town of Jaffrey map
Work has officially begun on what is expected to be a multiyear project to connect the two halves of U.S. Highway 202 through the southern New Hampshire town of Jaffrey.
Work has officially begun on what is expected to be a multiyear project to connect the two halves of U.S. Highway 202 through the southern New Hampshire town of Jaffrey.
The municipal parking lot on Blake Street is now empty of cars to make way for heavy-duty construction equipment as crews work on creating the abutments for the new bridge to span the Contoocook River.
The Ledger-Transcript in nearby Peterborough, N.H., reported on May 6, 2025, that the total project includes the construction of two new roundabouts, one at the five-way intersection of N.H. Highway 124, U.S. 202/Peterborough Street, Stratton Road, Blake Street and Main Street, connected by a newly constructed bridge over the Contoocook River to a second roundabout that will be built at U.S. 202/River Street.
The bridge makes up the first phase of the construction, which began in April 2025. The entire project is expected to take approximately three years, concluding in May 2028.
Jo Anne Carr, Jaffrey's planning and economic development director, told the Ledger-Transcript that work on the new bridge will mainly take place weekdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., with the possibility of some weekend activity.
The Blake Street parking lot is a former brownfield site, where Carr said construction will include the removal of soil, meaning residents will likely see trucks hauling dirt from the site.
Jaffrey municipal officials are providing up-to-date information about the project on the town's Facebook page.
In the most-recent update on April 25, work was ongoing to build the support frame for the bridge, with drilling for abutments expected to start in the first week of May.
"I'm pretty excited about it," said Carr about the start of the street and bridge project, which has been in the planning phases for several years.
Transforming Beautiful Downtown Jaffrey
The purpose of the project is to address the traffic congestion and safety related deficiencies associated with the current configuration of the U.S. 202 dogleg intersections of Main Street with Peterborough Street and Main Street with River Street, while enhancing pedestrian mobility and supporting the quality of life and the economic vitality of Jaffrey's downtown.
The town has been working with Toole Design in Boston and the New Hampshire Division of Historic Resources to create a number of aesthetic improvements to the downtown — to occur at the same time as the roadway construction — and to plan some new signage, including those with historical information about Jaffrey.
Among the other goals are creating a "welcome park" in the former location of the Lab n' Lager to serve as a gathering space.
"It's coming along nicely, and really will be transformative for the downtown," said Carr.
One of the new bridge's origins is on Blake Street at what is now is a municipal parking lot. The lot is closed in order to serve as a staging area for the construction, the Peterborough news source noted.
The bridge is to be made of concrete, with a black rail to match the current downtown aesthetics, as well as ornamental lights. In addition, it will include a sidewalk and a bike lane on each of its sides, along with two vehicle travel lanes.
The first phase also includes improvements to the three-block-long Blake Street.
Construction of the bridge is expected to be complete in June 2025, along with work to improve the U.S. 202/River Street side of the structure.
Those efforts will be the extent of 2025's construction, with upgrades to the River Street roundabout and improvements to Stratton Road slated for 2026. The five-way roundabout and Turnpike Road improvements should start at the end of 2026 before finishing in June 2027, according to the Ledger-Transcript.
Final roundabout improvements, landscaping, paving and striping would wrap up in the spring of 2028.
Also, as part of the project, the town of Jaffrey expects to move forward with some municipal pedestrian repairs to sidewalks, including on Peterborough Street.
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