City seeks to replace Portland Avenue retaining wall

posted on 1/3/2023

The City of Dover released a request for proposals last week seeking construction bids to install a retaining wall on Portland Avenue, just outbound from its intersection with Cochecho Street.

In addition to the retaining wall, the project is also to include installing and widening the sidewalk on a section of Portland Avenue and installing a crash-test railing and new streetlights. Bids for the project are due on Jan. 30, 2024. Click here for bid materials.

The work would impact Portland Avenue traffic, as traffic is anticipated to be reduced to a single lane of alternating traffic for a significant portion of the project. As such, the city will provide regular updates after the bid is awarded and the project schedule is determined. To sign up for project-specific emails, visit https://bit.ly/dovernewsletters and add “Project updates: Portland Avenue retaining wall” to your current email subscription list. The work is also expected to coincide with the project to replace stormwater drainage from the retaining wall to the Cochehco River; that project has not yet gone out to bid.

The retaining wall project was initially authorized through the FY2022-2027 Capital Improvements Program to conduct a stability analysis and investigate whether it would be best to reinforce, repair or replace the wall. Upon investigation, the city concluded the retaining wall needed replacement, as engineers discovered during the stability analysis the current wall does not have support footing and is not technically a retaining wall.

Last month, the City Council authorized bonding an additional $1,100,000 to fund the project’s construction in a resolution appropriating for FY2025 CIP debt-financed projects. The City Council had previously authorized bonding $850,000 for construction and $250,000 for design engineering.

For more information about the project, contact Community Services at 603-516-6450. For more bid information, contact the Finance Department at 603-516-6030.