Concord, NH – July 18, 2025 – Executive Councilor Janet Stevens announced today that progress is moving forward on the construction and installation of median barriers along a five-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in New Hampshire—one of the most heavily traveled corridors in the state. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has issued a revised Request for Proposals (RFP) with a 32% increase to the original engineering estimate, now allocating more than $4.4 million for this critical safety initiative. Construction bids are due by July 31, 2025.
“This project has been a top priority for me since the tragic median crossover crashes on October 16 and October 23, 2024,” said Councilor Stevens. “Following these devastating accidents, I immediately requested a meeting with NHDOT’s Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, and safety engineering team to push for urgent and long-overdue safety enhancements along I-95.”
During that meeting, Councilor Stevens raised concerns about the Department’s reliance on the outdated 2011 AASHTO Roadside Design Guide, which classified barriers as “optional” for medians wider than 50 feet and roads with less than 20,000 vehicles per day.
“After reviewing NHDOT’s own Traffic Data Management System, I found that I-95 is currently averaging over 96,000 vehicles per day, and that median widths in this corridor range from 53 to 73 feet. Modern engineering standards—and common sense—support the immediate need for either cable or metal beam barriers within the swales of I-95. Given the traffic volume, high speeds, and recent tragedies, these barriers are essential—not optional,” said Stevens.
In the immediate aftermath of the crashes and Councilor Stevens’ advocacy, a number of safety measures were implemented and are still in effect, including:
· A surge in New Hampshire State Police patrols and increased use of radar technology within 48 hours.
· Installation of delineation poles at key points along the corridor within five days. Initial dynamic messaging within the l-95 Corridor.
· Over 500 speeding citations were issued on I-95 during a recent 12-week span, with weekly traffic enforcement saturations continuing.
The original RFP, issued in May 2025, drew bids that exceeded the initial engineering estimate by more than $2.3 million—an overage of 69%. At the time, NHDOT Commissioner Bill Cass stated, “Given the stark difference in cost and the reasons identified, we do not feel we can in good conscience proceed with awarding the bid.”
Following the results of the May 2025 bids, Executive Councilor Stevens has fought for the installation of these critical barriers. At the July 9, 2025 Executive Council meeting Councilor Stevens pressed NHDOT to act swiftly: “Lives are on the line. We cannot delay. The time to act is now.”
Councilor Stevens reaffirmed her commitment to seeing this project through to completion, stating, “This barrier system will dramatically improve public safety along one of New Hampshire’s busiest and most dangerous highway segments. It’s a step forward in preventing future tragedies.”
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Executive Councilor Janet Stevens of Rye represents the 266,000 residents living in District Three, which encompasses the cities and towns of – Atkinson, Brentwood, Chester, Danville, Derry, E. Kingston, Epping, Exeter, Fremont, Greenland, Hampstead, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington, Kingston, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket, Newton, No. Hampton, Pelham, Plaistow, Raymond, Rye, Salem, Sandown, Seabrook, So Hampton, Stratham, Windham and the City of Portsmouth
