Good Afternoon,
The Downtown Infrastructure Project is officially underway! Over the past week, Liberty Utilities has begun replacing older gas lines on the west side of Central Square. That work will continue next week. They anticipate needing to work in the West Street slip lane (and detouring traffic) towards the end of the week. An update will be sent once the specific timing is determined.
At the same time, the project team has been focused on completing the many pre-construction activities necessary before major construction begins. Casella Construction has been advancing subcontractor approvals, developing project submittals, and finalizing phase planning. The project team is also 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. Casella is planning to begin work in Central Square on July 27, 2026.
As requested during our Coffee and Hardhats meeting last week, the Engineering team has marked the trees within the Phase 1 area to be removed or transplanted.
- Blue ribbons: trees that will be transplanted to other locations within the City (3).
- Pink ribbons: trees that will be removed (14).
Next Wednesday, we will be giving an update to the MSFI committee at their regular meeting at 6:00 PM in City Hall. 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 contact me directly.
Thanks,
Don Lussier, P.E.
Public Works Director
dlussier@keenenh.gov
Downtown Project Ombudsman: George Downing, (603) 757-2105, gdowning@keenenh.gov
Keene Public Works: (603) 352-6550, pwinfo@keenenh.gov
