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The view looking north from Queen City Avenue of the old railroad bed in Manchester on May 13 2024. The bridge in the distance is Elm Street. The city plans on paving the section which will connect the South Manchester Rail Trail with downtown. DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER
By Paul Feely Union Leader Staff
Manchester officials have released updated design plans to build 0.68 miles of rail trail, dubbed the Central Manchester Rail Trail, offering easier access for pedestrians and bicyclists from Elm Street and Willow Street.
The trail will run northerly along an abandoned rail bed from where the South Manchester Rail Trail ends at Queen City Avenue, with a raised bed and a more gradual slope from the streets.
City officials have opted against moving ahead with plans to build a previously proposed roadway connecting Elm and Willow streets, called the Gas Street Extension, as part of the federally-funded “RAISE Manchester: Connecting Communities” transportation infrastructure improvement project.
In a news release, city officials said the name Central Manchester Rail Trail reflects not only the trail’s central location in the Queen City, but also highlights the fact it will serve as a central intersection to some of New Hampshire’s longest rail trails, including the southern half of the Granite State Rail Trail, the east-west Rockingham Recreational Trail and Piscataquog Rail Trail.
Construction projects extending some of these trails are already underway.
“The Central Manchester Rail Trail along with other components of the RAISE Manchester project align with the city’s commitment to foster multi-modal transportation options and pedestrian-friendly connectivity, particularly for the neighborhoods where residents have the fewest vehicles and transportation options,” said city traffic engineer and RAISE Manchester Project Manager Kristen Clarke in a statement.
The city had included in its RAISE grant application and initial design plans to build the Gas Street Extension roadway in an area immediately south of the Factory on Willow building.
The extension featured a 70-foot bridge for motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic over the rail trail. The plans were presented to the public in December 2022 and during outreach efforts with city residents.
Officials ultimately decided to remove the Gas Street Extension from the grant project due to financial considerations, the discovery of poor soil conditions and property impacts.
“However, this does not preclude a future vehicular connection somewhere between Elm Street and Willow Street if there is available funding and community support,” officials said in a statement.
In March, officials released refined designs for the proposed roadway and bridge known as the South Commercial Street Extension, a new connection from Granite Street to Elm Street crossing over the active rail corridor just south of Delta Dental Stadium.
The new route is expected to alleviate congestion during peak hours, improve emergency response times to the south Millyard area and provide an alternative access point for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists attending events at Delta Dental Stadium and the Hilton Garden Inn, RAISE Manchester said in a news release.
The updated design expands the pedestrian walkway from 8 feet to 12 feet wide for most of the bridge, making the two-way shared-use path at least twice as wide as a typical sidewalk, officials said.
Along Riverwalk Way, the roadway will be realigned and additional parking spaces located under the proposed bridge for Residences at Riverwalk apartment residents.
Pedestrian and bicycle traffic can use the signalized intersection at Elm Street, allowing for direct access to the rail trail.
Focused around the South Millyard area to the northern end of South Willow Street, officials say the RAISE Manchester project will “improve connectivity for multiple modes of transportation,” as well as pedestrians, improve commute times, reduce traffic jams near Exit 5 off Interstate 293 and alleviate traffic ahead of performances at the SNHU Arena or baseball games at Delta Dental Stadium.
The project is funded by a $25 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant.
The project is expected to include:
- A new pedestrian bridge over Granite Street connecting Commercial and South Commercial streets.
- A new road and bridge extending from South Commercial Street behind the baseball stadium over the active railroad to Elm Street.
- A new pedestrian and bicycle path along the abandoned railroad corridor connecting Queen City Avenue and Elm Street.
- A new roundabout replacing the intersection and signals at the Queen City Avenue-South Willow Street intersection.
In September 2023, the city received notice from the New Hampshire Division of the Federal Highway Administration that it had completed its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process. NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions.
Completion of the review process affirms the project will have minimal impact on the environment and allows it to progress to the final design phase, bringing the project one step closer to breaking ground.
Design plans are expected to be ready for construction by September 2024, with all construction completed by September 2029.
For more information about the RAISE Manchester: Connecting Communities project, visit www.raisemanchester.org.
