Interstate 293

Interstate 293 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in southern New Hampshire connecting I‑93, I‑89/I‑95 corridor traffic and the Merrimack River corridor between Manchester and Hooksett. The route forms a short bypass and connector around central Manchester and serves access to downtown Manchester, the Manchester–Boston Regional Airport, and industrial zones along the Merrimack River. The highway integrates with regional transportation networks including U.S. Route 3, New Hampshire Route 3A, and New Hampshire Route 28.

Route description

The highway begins near the junction of I‑93 and New Hampshire Route 101A in Manchester, proceeding north as an elevated freeway along the western bank of the Merrimack River and paralleling U.S. Route 3 and New Hampshire Route 28 through industrial and commercial districts adjacent to Saint Anselm College and the SNHU Arena complex. The alignment provides ramps to downtown Manchester and connections to the Manchester–Boston Regional Airport, the Millyard Museum, and the Zimmerman House area before crossing into Hooksett. Northbound the route rejoins I‑93 near the Mall of New Hampshire and the Hooksett spillway environs, intersecting auxiliary arterials that link to NH‑3A and US‑3 corridors. The corridor traverses urban, suburban, and riparian landscapes and lies within the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission jurisdiction.

History

Plans for this auxiliary route trace to postwar federal highway initiatives under the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, with alignment studies influenced by precedent projects such as Interstate 95 in Massachusetts and regional proposals coordinated by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference. Early routing considered alternatives near the Merrimack River industrial district, informed by urban renewal efforts tied to entities like the Economic Development Administration and local agencies including the Manchester Planning Board. Construction phases in the 1960s and 1970s implemented elevated viaducts, interchanges, and river crossings using design standards promulgated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and contractors with experience on projects such as the Central Artery/Tunnel Project and Massachusetts Turnpike. Subsequent decades saw rehabilitation projects concurrent with federal programs administered by the Federal Highway Administration and coordinated with regional bodies like the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization for traffic modeling and impact assessments.

Exit list

The route comprises a compact set of interchanges providing access to principal corridors and destinations. Key interchanges include connections with US‑3 for access to Concord and Nashua; ramps serving NH‑3A adjacent to riverfront districts and facilities like the SNHU Arena; and the northern merge with I‑93 toward Concord and Franconia Notch State Park. Exit numbering and ramp configurations reflect sequential and directional design adopted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and maintained by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

Traffic and usage

Traffic volumes on the route reflect commuter patterns between Manchester and the southern Merrimack Valley communities such as Hooksett and Bedford, and modal connections to regional nodes including the Manchester–Boston Regional Airport and intercity services like Amtrak and Greyhound Lines. Peak hour congestion correlates with employment centers in downtown Manchester, retail concentrations near the Mall of New Hampshire, and freight movements serving former mill sites along the Merrimack River. The corridor is monitored via traffic counts and congestion mitigation programs administered by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and regional planning partners like the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, with data informing winter maintenance coordination with the New Hampshire National Guard emulation exercises and emergency response planning with the Manchester Fire Department and New Hampshire State Police.

Future plans and improvements

Planned improvements focus on pavement rehabilitation, bridge deck replacement, interchange modernization, and multimodal access enhancements coordinated by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and influenced by federal infrastructure initiatives under programs managed by the Federal Highway Administration and funding mechanisms related to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Projects under consideration include ramp reconfigurations to improve throughput near retail nodes like the Mall of New Hampshire, structural upgrades to river-crossing viaducts informed by inspections using standards from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and bicycle-pedestrian connectivity projects linking riverfront trails and institutions such as Saint Anselm College and the Millyard Museum. Stakeholders for proposed work include municipal governments of Manchester, Hooksett, regional planners at the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, and federal grant programs administered through agencies like the Economic Development Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.

Category:Interstate Highways in New Hampshire