NH State Representative Steven Smith

Dear Elected Officials of Charlestown, Walpole, and Claremont: 

Work to construct the soil nail wall was halted due to movement of the rail lines and excessive groundwater at the construction site.  The movement, recorded by the devices installed prior to construction beginning, caused the railroad to lower speeds to 10 mph for the Amtrak and freight trains. 

The attached photos of the soil nail wall construction depict the issues created by the excess water.  And while it may seem logical to de-water (removing the excess water by pumping), dewatering could lead to additional settlement of the rail tracks. De-watering may remove silty soil with the water, as well as creating more instability by leaving voids in the railroad embankment.

The Department has been actively working with the Railroad, the consultant, and the contractor to develop the best approach to repair Charlestown Rt. 12 with the poor soil strengths, high groundwater, and settlement experienced.  As the contractor was conducting initial tests, it was found the soil did not have the required strength. In order to stabilize the embankment without dewatering, other more extensive retaining wall options were conceptualized; however all were determined to be cost prohibitive. 

The Department is proposing a two-phased approach with a short-term and a long-term solution. The short-term solution would reopen Charlestown Rt. 12 in the interim.  This approach was discussed last week with the Railroad, which was amenable to this short-term solution.  Under the short-term plan, the current soil nail wall will be discontinued. The embankment will be stabilized.  The road will be built back up with fill and gravel and paved so that the two-lane section of Charlestown Rt 12 can be re-opened.  Although the Department considered opening a one-lane roadway, any future work to construct a second lane would require closures. Additionally, the roadway is not wide enough for construction equipment, workers, and vehicles to pass safely.  (Attached photos show the constrained space.)  It is a relatively short section of road to build back up and should proceed fairly quickly.

The re-opening of Charlestown Rt 12 is considered a temporary solution, as the conditions that caused the road closure still exist and poor soils will not be removed. The Department will install monitoring equipment to observe the conditions but cautions that the same situation could arise with another major weather event.  The short-term solution would be the route until the long-term solution can be designed and implemented.  This will likely involve full reconstruction and consideration of realignment alternatives to increase the distance between the road and the Railroad.

The long-term solution will be investigated within the comprehensive Ten-Year Plan project.  The Department has already selected a consultant and initiated the scoping to determine the alternatives available. The efforts to date will be valuable in weighing the alternatives and investigations to determine the best location for NH Route 12.

A change order will be required, and the Department and consultants are working diligently to prepare revisions and minimize the contractor’s downtime. The Project Manager will meet with Town officials and other interested parties for further discussions on schedules, cost, and other pertinent information. 

I will update you on further developments in the next 7-14 days.

My Best,

Kathy

Kathleen Mulcahey-Hampson

Legislative Liaison

Below, find the update from NHDOT. Above, find my reply.

I understand that some things are beyond our control. Nonetheless, please convey to everyone involved, every chance you get, that there is significant cost and danger racking up here. My son, a new driver, trying to navigate the muddy dirt going to school was involved in an accident, destroyed his vehicle, and sustained multiple injuries. He is not alone. The “alternate” route roads were never suited to be through routes or to carry commercial traffic. Consequently, they are deteriorating rapidly and some are actually impassable now that mud season has arrived.

Constituents are rightfully in an uproar about the damage to their local roads, vehicles, and persons. We are literally in the worst month to be using these back roads. Please explore any method of making at least one lane of Rte 12 open. I’m pretty sure they won’t care if it delays completion of the final project. One gravel lane will save a lot of doctor bills and vehicle repairs/replacements. There is also no guarantee that the back roads will last through this, leaving some with no way to get to work or school. 

This is an actual crisis now, not an inconvenience. 

Steven D. Smith Deputy Speaker, NH House of Representatives

Dear Elected Officials for Charlestown, Walpole and Claremont: 

My apologies for the delayed update.  A family matter arose and in my absence, a situation developed with the Charlestown Route 12 repairs.

We are disappointed to send this update, but need to advise you that unforeseen circumstances have developed which impact the project.  

Work to install the soil nail wall began the week of February 14, 2022.  As work was advancing, the track monitoring system registered excessive movement. This movement caused the Railroad to reduce speeds to 10 mph and to rescind the Railroad’s approval of the work to construct the soil nail wall.   High groundwater, fluctuating temperatures, and fractured underlying ledge are all contributing factors. 

Clearly, the Railroad would like to resume normal speeds and the Department would like to reopen the road as soon as safety allows.  The engineers are analyzing the situation and reevaluating design options, working towards a solution with the public’s and railroad’s safety and travel needs at the forefront.

I will keep you updated more frequently, as DOT continues to meet with the Railroad and works to develop a solution.  DOT remains committed to the end goal of safely reopening Charlestown Route 12.

My Best,

Kathy

Kathleen Mulcahey-Hampson

Legislative Liaison

The NH Route 12 repair work began on January 3, 2022.  The contractor, Casella, successfully acquired the Right-of-Entry from the New England Central Railroad (NECR).  Prior to starting any excavation work within the railroad right-of-way, Casella was required to monitor the track for seven (7) days. The baseline monitoring has been completed. This initial monitoring created a baseline for typical track movement while trains are operating.  The baseline can then be compared to any vibrations during soil nail wall drilling, excavating the roadway, and rebuilding the roadway and slope.

Once the initial monitoring period was complete, Casella was able to begin roadway work by removing existing guardrail, clearing and removal of trees necessary in the slope failure, and building temporary roads for railroad right-of-way access. The temporary roads are the first phase of the soil nail wall construction.  

In addition to the track monitoring, Casella needs to install additional equipment to monitor the stability of the railroad embankment. This work will entail some intermittent disruption of power in the immediate area.  The monitoring devices and power disruptions should be completed this week.

The project is moving forward.  Casella is close to completing the necessary submittals to finish ordering materials.  The project is on-schedule through January 2022 due to Casella’s attentiveness, the railroad’s responsiveness to requests, and the Department’s Bureau of Construction staff anticipating questions and concerns.  

I hope this information provides a good picture of the cooperative efforts and the progress that has been made. 

My Best,

Kathy

Kathleen Mulcahey-Hampson

Legislative Liaison

Senior Hearings Examiner, NHDOT