DPW Press Releases

Ahead of the busy summer season and anticipated increased foot traffic, crews will be doing some brick repair work on sidewalks in the Market Square area beginning on Thursday, April 25th. This work occur Thursday, Friday and Monday (not over the weekend), and will include various areas in need of restoration in all four corners of the Square. The crews will be leveling out and repairing spot areas to alleviate puddling and unevenness. 

A water main break has occurred on Route 1 near the location of Mr. Mac’s restaurant. Public Works crews have shut off the water main while they address this issue; this affects buildings along Route 1 heading in the direction of Rye, as well as surrounding side streets with the exception of Ocean Road. Crews anticipate the water to be turned back on around noon to 1 p.m. this afternoon. Crews will be shutting the water main off again overnight from midnight to 4 a.m. to permanently fix this break.

Pavement crack sealing operations begin in Portsmouth on Wednesday, April 17th. The following roads and neighborhoods have been selected for treatment, and will be completed as time and budget allows:

The Water Division will start their twice annual routine hydrant flushing of the City’s 190 miles of water mains to remove sediment buildup on Monday, April 15th. This work will occur on both public and private hydrants spanning New Castle, Rye, Greenland, Newington and Portsmouth, lasting about six to eight weeks. Between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., Monday through Thursday, crews will open select fire hydrants, releasing water with enough velocity to carry sediment out of the pipes.

The Arbor Day Foundation recently awarded Portsmouth’s Parks and Greenery Department, led by arborists Corin Hallowell and Charles Baxter, with its Tree City USA designation as well as its Tree Growth Award

Last September, the City implemented new bike lanes on the Middle Street/Lafayette Road corridor to create a safer, on-road bike route along Route 1 between the High School and Downtown. This new design included buffered bike lanes, defined parking spaces and bollards (also known as flex posts) along the marked bike lane. 

Detailed inspection of the Kearsarge Way Bridge over the Pan Am railroad tracks are tentatively scheduled to continue on Friday, April 5th, depending on weather conditions. This inspection will be conducted using an under-bridge inspection vehicle, occupying the northbound lane of the bridge during the inspection and limiting vehicles to a single lane of alternating traffic across the bridge. Flaggers will be present at either end of the bridge to direct motorists.