Project Summary

The Salem Street neighborhood was constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with nearly all homes and utilities more than 50-years-old. Some sections of water main in the Salem Street Area (Oak, Salem, Park, Hale, Warren, Locust, Walnut, Wadleigh, and Forest Streets) consisted of 100-year-old unlined cast-iron and 60-year-old AC water pipes along with vitrified clay sewer pipes with significant joint separation and root intrusion. Exeter appropriated $5.1 million dollars in their FY 2021 budget to perform infrastructure improvement design and construction. Hoyle Tanner did design and public outreach.

Hoyle Tanner’s public outreach efforts focused on engaging and informing residents whose lives would be improved by the project, despite temporary disruptions during construction. For this project, a Facebook Group was established to provide stakeholders with information about public meetings, encourage participation in the project-specific questionnaire, and share project updates. This forum also allowed residents to ask specific questions throughout the project duration. During the facilitation of the open house-style public meetings, we used visualization boards and customized surveys to engage residents around areas of concern.

Our design team completed utility and roadway resurfacing plans and specifications for bidding. The project included a new water main, new sewers, and new sections of storm drainage and catch basins. Also included were significant roadway resurfacing and pedestrian improvements to provide a more uniform 24′ roadway width and improved pedestrian connectivity.