The busy Queen City Bridge in Manchester, NH, has reopened after state transportation officials ordered it closed Sept. 21 for a more thorough analysis after a routine bridge inspection revealed concerns about possible “structural deficiencies.”
“Additional inspections and testing were conducted to ensure the condition of the bridge was fully understood before returning it to service,” Tim Clougherty, director of the city’s Department of Public Works, said in a statement.
The 1,175-foot-long, 14-mast structure, built in 1923, carries nearly 30,000 vehicles on Route 3 over the Merrimack River and a CSX rail corridor. The bridge linking the east and west sides of Manchester was rebuilt in 1992.
Meanwhile, 22 miles south of Manchester, one westbound lane on the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Hudson remains closed following a routine inspection by the state DOT. It carries about 37,000 vehicles a day from the Hudson to Nashua, also across that river.
The Veterans Bridge inspection found a cracked beam, the Nashua Independent reports on the city’s Facebook page. Hudson officials say they expect the bridge to be fully operational in four to six weeks. City Engineer Elvis Dhima told New Hampshire Union leader that Hudson officials called a special meeting to authorize emergency funds of about $100,000 for structural repairs to the bridge.
Manchester Public Works officials reported signs of rust buildup and a “potential crack” in rebar, WMUR reports. The department said the problems did not appear to be related to the nearby $360 million cemetery drainage tunnel project or any recent repairs to the bridge.
The stormwater tunnel project launched a 281-ton TBM on Aug. 31 as scheduled, Parsons resident engineer Ed Pietrasz told ENR. The project has not been “impacted” by ongoing inspections of the Queen City Bridge, he added.
The two bridge closures come as the $1.2 trillion Jobs and Infrastructure Investment Act, signed by President Joe Biden in 2021, expires on September 30.
Over its lifetime, from fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2026, New Hampshire will receive a total of $225 million in bridge formula program funds to help with needed repairs. The program allows each state to set aside 15% of its allocation to reserve “out-of-system bridges” on public highways, according to the Federal/Highway Administration. For bridges owned by a city, township, village, or other local agency, the federal share may be 100%.
For New Hampshire’s two municipally-owned bridges, the state DOT is “working closely with communities to provide expertise and guidance” for bridge repair, said Jennifer Lane, department spokeswoman. “We are working with Governor Kelly Ayotte’s office to consider any requests for financial assistance.”
Of New Hampshire’s 2,549 bridges, the state has rated 192, or 8 percent, as structurally deficient, but that’s down from 194 in 2021, according to the American Highway and Transportation Builders Association. The state ranks 15th in the nation for the percentage of structurally deficient bridges, down from 18th by 2024.
But the association has identified 2,498 bridges in need of repair, up from 2,473 in 2021.
The recent inspection of the Queen City Bridge follows one in 2024 that reported multiple areas of corrosion and pitting, but no cracking of the steel truss.
Manchester Bridge inspections are carried out every two years.
