CURRENT WORK
All temporary water services for the first phase of the project have been swapped over to the new permanent ductile iron water mains. There are no further scheduled water disruptions for the project until spring.
The following activities are planned for the week of Monday, Nov. 10:
Drainage work
On Monday and Tuesday, November 10 and 11, project contractor S.U.R. Construction, Inc., plans to excavate a section of Court Street just north (toward downtown) of the Union Street intersection to install a large drainage maintenance hole. This work will require Court Street to be closed. S.U.R. will also complete remaining storm drainage work on this section of Court Street between Union Street and Central Avenue.
Once the Court Street drainage work is complete, S.U.R. intends to continue drainage infrastructure work on Union Street, starting at Court Street and working towards Central Avenue.
Court Street road work Wednesday-Friday
On Wednesday, Nov. 12, S.U.R. plans to mobilize an additional crew to remove all remaining asphalt pavement on Court Street between Union Street and Central Avenue to prepare for the new road subgrade and pavement.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, S.U.R. anticipates “boxing out” this section of Court Street, starting from Central Avenue and working south towards Union Street. By “boxing out,” S.U.R. will be excavating the entire road section down to a depth of about 20 inches, which will then be filled with structural gravel material to develop the road subgrade, which will then be ready for new asphalt pavement.
The boxing out will occur on one side of Court Street at a time. S.U.R. will work a full day on one side excavating and adding gravel materials to the required grade. On Friday, Nov. 14, S.U.R. will repeat the operation on the other half of the road, starting again at Central Avenue and working toward Union Street.
Residents should expect delays entering/exiting homes
Residents should be prepared for delays getting in and out of driveways when during the excavation work as well as an increase in of truck traffic. Residents are encouraged to make provisions, such as allowing ample travel time or parking vehicles outside of the construction area.
Base paving to occur before Thanksgiving
The entire road will be a gravel surface for several weeks with the base layer of asphalt pavement anticipated to be laid down on Court Street between Union Street and Central Avenue by Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 27.
Daily traffic and parking restrictions
The following traffic and parking restrictions will be in place on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. once the project begins through approximately December 2025.
- Court Street will be closed to through traffic between Central Avenue and Union Street
- Union Street will be closed to through traffic between Central Avenue and Court Street
- Street parking will also be prohibited in the work area
The contractor will accommodate local traffic getting to and from their destinations in the work zone. They will also post NO PARKING signs in the restricted areas.
Notify city of bulky item trash to ensure its picked up
City staff encourages residents in the construction zone who have bulky item waste (and have purchased bulky item tags) to call Community Services at 603-516-6450 before Tuesday's regular trash pickup. This helps the city coordinate with Waste Management and ongoing construction activities and ensure the items are picked up.
Questions/Concerns?
Residents who have concerns about how construction may affect their property are encouraged to contact the Community Services Engineering Department to schedule an onsite meeting.
For non-owner-occupied properties, the city recommends property owners to encourage their tenants to sign up for project email updates.
Sign up for project email updates by visiting https://bit.ly/dovernewsletters and adding “Project update: Court Street and Union Street Reconstruction” to your current email subscription list.
Neighborhood meeting 8/14/2025
Thank you to all those who attended the Aug. 14, 2025 neighborhood. For those who were unable to attend, a recording of the meeting and the presentation materials are available on the project website.
Right of Entry letters mailed
The contractor may need to temporarily step onto private property outside the public right-of-way to properly connect the limits of the project to private property and ensure positive drainage. City staff have mailed Right of Entry letters to property owners abutting the project detailing what to expect.
Questions?
- Matthew Gibbons, PE, Municipal Construction Project Administrator, at m.gibbons@dover.nh.gov, 603-516-6450.
- Jillian Semprini, PE, City Engineer, at j.semprini@dover.nh.gov or 603-516-6450.
CONTRACT DRAWINGS
- Bid contract drawings for Court and Union Streets Reconstruction Project #B25014
- Complete #B25014 bid package
Concept Plan
The project limits include Union Street, from Central Avenue to Court Street, and Court Street from Central Avenue through Middle Road to just east of Hubbard Road. Following feedback through neighborhood meetings, emails and survey, the final plans incorporate a combination of the two initial concept plans presented to the public. The plans utilize shared use lanes and bike lanes depending on the section of the project.
