Temporary Bypass Planned for Lawrence Street Bridge Project
Andover, NH · October 7, 2026
Crisp air has settled into the valley this morning, just in time for an afternoon soccer match out on Carr Field.
The Lead
The Town of Andover and the state Department of Transportation have opened bidding for a complete replacement of the aging Lawrence Street Bridge over the Blackwater River. The multi-million-dollar infrastructure project will retire the existing 58-foot single-span structure—first set on concrete-faced stone masonry abutments—and install a modern 110-foot steel girder bridge designed to carry two 12-foot travel lanes alongside a new five-foot pedestrian sidewalk.
Crucially for local drivers, the engineering plan avoids lengthy detour routes through surrounding backroads by requiring the winning contractor to construct a temporary downstream crossing before dismantling the current deck. Formal bids from prequalified contractors close on October 21 at 2:00 PM, setting the stage for construction that will reshape the river crossing through May 2028.
Local Pulse
- Planning Board Prepares Master Plan Workshop City Hall Officials are compiling early resident survey responses ahead of public visioning sessions scheduled for later this month.
Today's Outlook
- High 64°F · Low 34°F — Overcast
- Keep an extra fleece handy for that brisk drop after sundown.
What's On Around Town
Today
Boys JV2 Soccer vs. Holderness Carr Field (204 Main St), 2:00 PM · Free Cheer on the Hornets on the home turf under peak foliage.
Sea Shanties Sing-Along Waterhorse Irish Pub (361 Central St), Franklin, 7:00 PM · Free Join neighbors for traditional maritime singing over an evening pint.
Evening Feature Screening Granite Movie Theater (725 Laconia Rd), Tilton, 8:00 PM · Paid Catch a mid-week movie on the big screen down the road.
Tomorrow
- Taste of the Trail Elks Lodge (125 S Main St), Franklin, 5:00–8:00 PM · $20
- Conservation Commission Meeting Town Office Meeting Room (31 School St), 7:00–8:00 PM · Free
Friday
- Warner Fall Foliage Festival Main Street, Warner, 6:00 PM · Free
- Traditional Irish Music Sessiun Waterhorse Irish Pub (361 Central St), Franklin, 7:00 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- Bradley Lake
- Most drivers skirting the shoreline see a placid 165-acre mountain pond, but overhead power lines divide the water legally: south of those wires, all swimming and domestic animals are strictly prohibited to safeguard the intake piping drinking water to village taps.
Andover Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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