Portsmouth project to raise Peirce Island Road: What dog owners, all visitors should know
PORTSMOUTH — A 400-foot section of Peirce Island Road will be raised to counter flooding in a construction project that will affect traffic, parking and visitors to the dog park on the island.
Work on the project is scheduled to start the week of April 15 and is anticipated to be completed by mid-June 2024, according to a city press release. The road provides the only access to the Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Portsmouth applied for and received $965,333 for the project from a federal pre-disaster fund. Peirce Island Road frequently floods during spring high tides and storm events, according to the city. The project will raise the adjacent parking area in addition to a section of the road.
The road will then lie approximately three feet above its current lowest point and elevated above the 100-year flood line to protect it against predicted sea level rise. The raised road will also offer greater protection to the force mains under the road that carry wastewater to the wastewater treatment plant. Additionally, a portion of the packed gravel parking area will be replaced with grass pavers and vegetation to improve storm-water management. The roadway is scheduled to be completed first.
What Peirce Island visitors and dog owners can expect
No parking will be allowed within the construction zone for the duration of the project. The Peirce Island dog park will will be restricted to on-leash only use during construction hours, Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dog owners are encouraged by city officials to use alternate areas at the Park & Ride on Route 33 and the South Mill Pond dog park during the Peirce Island project.
Flaggers will be in place as necessary to manage traffic flow. The trail on the island will re-open at the end of each workday and the site will be safe for public access, officials said. The city will place a message board with details and restrictions near the parking lot of the Robert P. Sullivan Boat Launch at Peirce Island.
The City does not anticipate any impacts to the rocky shore, salt marsh or marsh elder. The project will maintain the existing walking trail and vegetation north of the road. The placement of a narrow buffer of stone and upland plantings will protect the road from high water and wave action during storms.
Information: portsnh.co/PI-resiliency
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth NH project to raise Peirce Island Road: What to know
