Portsmouth considers streetscape improvements on Market Street Extension

The Islington Street Action Plan has received a lot of headlines lately. But another corridor leading into Portsmouth is also slated for big changes. A public input session was recently held to discuss the Market Street Extension Streetscape Improvement Plan.

Market Street Extension runs from Kearsage Way, under Interstate 95, to Deer Street. Dubbed a “gateway” into Portsmouth, it is the main access route to the central business district and home to the city’s working waterfront. Nearly 16,000 vehicles enter Portsmouth via the road each day, passing by such attractions as the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center and the Albacore Submarine Museum. On April 14, roughly 35 people gathered at Portsmouth Public Library for the unveiling of conceptual designs created by the Cecil Group.

Sprucing up the aesthetics of this four-lane corridor is a primary focus of the project. Officials also hope to improve signage, provide traffic calming elements and improve safety conditions for cyclists and pedestrians. The improvements are also meant to highlight views of the Piscataqua River and North Mill Pond.

The first step toward improving the streetscape is to remove concrete from the center medians and replace it with tree plantings, “so it looks more like a parkway,” said Nancy Carmer, economic development program director for Portsmouth. Any landscaping would be accompanied by raised curbs, which would prevent road salt from seeping into the soil and poisoning the trees. At some of the interchanges, there would also be opportunities for public art, Carmer said.

Under the direction of the city’s transportation office, officials want to improve the intersection where I-95 meets the Market Street Extension. According to Carmer, transportation officials have considered adding a second lane to the northbound off ramp, using federal funds to pay for 80 percent of the project. The city also wants to add a sidewalk and bike lane to a section of the extension.

An empty, two-acre lot on the river side of Market Street Extension is also slated for improvement. Right now, that area is overgrown with sumac, but officials have proposed adding a stone dust path to the water, possibly with benches and interpretive signs of Portsmouth’s maritime history. A similar park, though much smaller, might be established in an open area overlooking North Mill Pond, Carmer said. This park would include a bench, plantings and interpretive signs. 

During the recent input session, a significant portion of the dialogue centered around pedestrian and bicycle access, Carmer said. Many of the improvements specifically target pedestrian safety, but some are purely aesthetic, like the city’s proposal to add ornamental lighting similar to the streetlamps on the Route 4 bridge leading into Durham. 

Signage will be another important element of the improvement plan. “Rather than piecemeal it, the city is more interested in doing a more comprehensive signage project that we can do throughout the city,” Carmer said. For instance, as visitors come in from Exit 7 on I-95, large signs could direct them downtown. As vehicles get closer to downtown, the size of the signs would be reduced and would direct visitors to specific attractions.

Improvements to the intersection of Deer and Market streets are designed to make the corridor safer.

According to Carmer, consultants spent a fair amount of time determining how to make this section more pedestrian friendly. They decided that narrowing the traffic lanes and widening the sidewalk would help. Right now, the lanes are 19 feet wide, while normal highway lanes are only 12 feet wide.

“This is just a vision,” Carmer said.

The next step will be for the design firm to put the finishing touches on the conceptual plan, implementing suggestions from the public. Step two will be to start the actual design, which will include more detailed construction plans. The Cecil Group will then present its final design to the Economic Development Commission in May.

Because it falls under the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, there is $500,000 available over the next two years, if the City Council approves the expenditure. “We’ll probably have to phase the improvements because of cost purposes,” Carmer said. “Right now, we don’t have a cost.”

By making the gateway more attractive and accessible, local businesses stand to benefit, Carmer said. “Clearly, if you’re a merchant and you’re trying to get people to your store, it’s nice to have a better sense of direction and arrival when you get to town,” she said. “Any improvement would be better than what we have now.”