Heath Road in Jaffrey is down to a single lane until further notice, after holes and sinking pavement have damaged both sides of the road along a culvert spanning the roadway.
Superintendent of Highways and Facilities Todd Croteau said the Department of Public Works was alerted two weeks ago to some sinkholes which had formed on the left side coming into Heath Road, along an 8-foot aluminum culvert that provides a stream crossing for Mead Brook.
“We went down to investigate, and there was a significant amount of erosion on the upstream headwall,” Croteau said.
Croteau said the majority of the damage is on the upstream side of the road, but there are also signs of erosion on the downstream side of the culvert. The town has reduced the roadway to a single lane, using concrete barriers and orange cones narrowing both sides, with a travel lane in the center of the roadway, where it is stable.
“I’m confident the middle of the road is not going anywhere and is safe for travel,” Croteau said.
Heath Road is a dead-end road off Gilmore Pond Road, without another access point from the opposite side. The culvert carrying the stream is also in good condition.
The lane is 15 feet wide, and sufficient to allow large vehicles, including emergency vehicles such as fire and ambulance, through, Croteau said.
Croteau said the damage appears to have been caused by scouring created by high-water events from large rainfalls. He said the town had a similar issue with a culvert on Letourneau Drive in 2021, caused by the same high-water events. The town had to conduct emergency repairs on Letourneau Drive in July of 2021 due to washouts.
The town has been in contact with Quantum Consultants, a civil engineering company, to assess the damage and what needs to be done to repair the culvert and roadway.
Croteau said he cannot estimate a cost or timeline for repair until he receives the engineering report, which may be as soon as this week, but said it is possible the road will remain a single lane for as long as a year.
“I just don’t know at this point, but most likely, it will not be able to be fixed this year,” he said. “We may luck out, and there’s a simple fix we can accomplish with town staff, but until I get a report from the engineer, it’s hard to say.”
In a post on the town’s website, Town Manager Jon Frederick also cautioned residents that the repair may take some time.
“The Town of Jaffrey is engaging our bridge engineers to evaluate the bridge and determine the most effective repair that will return it to full traffic,” Frederick wrote. “Our experience with other bridges in town is this can be a lengthy process. Your patience will be greatly appreciated as we work to fix this problem.”
Residents with questions on the partial closure can contact the Department of Public Works at 603-532-6521 or the Town Office at 603-532-7880.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.