Downtown Project Update – 7/31/26
The Downtown Infrastructure Project continues, with progress this past week focused on Liberty Utilities replacing older gas lines on the west and south sections of Central square. That work will continue next week and will require traffic to be shifted within the limits of the active work zone, including periodic closures of the West Street slip lane. Detours for both West Street and Roxbury Street will be established to reroute traffic, as necessary. An update will be sent once the specific timing is determined.
At the same time, the project team continues completing the many pre-construction activities necessary before major construction begins. Casella Construction has been advancing subcontractor approvals, developing project submittals, finalizing phase planning, and setting up their staging area at the corner of Gilbo and School Streets. Additionally, the project team is finalizing the traffic control plan for the first phase of construction.
While much of the activity remains behind the scenes, these planning and coordination efforts are essential to delivering a successful project and reducing disruptions once construction is fully underway. You can expect to see Casella next week preparing for the start of their work in Central Square.
As previously noted, the Engineering team has marked the trees within the Phase 1 area to be removed or transplanted. Blue ribbons are used to mark the three trees on the west side of the that will be transplanted to other locations within the City. Pink ribbons denote the 15 trees that will be removed during Phase 1.
Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our Downtown Project Ombudsman, George Downing, at (603) 757-2105 or gdowning@keenenh.gov, or Bryan Ruoff, City Engineer at (603) 352-6550 ext. 6621 or bruoff@keenenh.gov.
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Wondering what's happening at the vacant lot on Gilbo?
As work continues on the Downtown Infrastructure Project, our contractor, Casella will use the vacant lot on the corner of Gilbo Ave. and School St. as a staging area. The staging area will be used to store construction materials, equipment, tools, vehicles, and construction debris. Casella construction crew employees will also park there. Using this space helps keep Central Square as clear as possible during construction. It also helps preserve parking downtown for businesses, residents, and visitors.
Most importantly, downtown remains open throughout construction. Please continue to shop, dine, visit your favorite businesses, and enjoy everything downtown Keene has to offer.
Thank you for supporting our downtown businesses while this important work is underway.
#keenenh #downtownkeene #keenedowntownproject
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What's going on in that lot on Gilbo?
#keenenh #downtownkeene #keenedowntownproject
Video description: Two City of Keene employees stand in front of a lot full of construction vehicles.
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The Bicycle/Pedestrian Path Advisory Committee is looking for survey results for you to share your experiences walking, biking, or using a wheelchair in the community. Survey results will build on the input received during the Roadway Safety Action Plan project and will be used to shape recommendations for Infrastructure projects and safety programs and more. The survey will be open through September 15, 2026 and takes about 10 minutes to complete. All responses are confidential. Please take the survey by copy/pasting this link into your browser: arcg.is/0n485X0
#keenenh #bikepaths #multimodaltransport
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