LEBANON — State transportation officials are soliciting ideas on how to reduce congestion around the Interstate 89 Exit 18 interchange in Lebanon as they consider how to ease traffic along the Route 120 corridor.
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation is asking the public in an online survey to share its views of a roughly 1.1-mile stretch of Route 120 between Hanover Street and Etna Road.
Answers will help guide plans for a $4.8 million infrastructure project that could come as early as 2023, according to Donald Lyford, a DOT engineer and the project’s manager.
He said the study — which is active on Lebanon’s website through March 31 — is part of yearslong efforts to alleviate peak morning traffic that can often back up onto Interstate 89.
Heavy traffic can then lead to backups on Route 120, impacting several intersections heading north, Lyford said.
“So, we’re going to be looking to see if we can improve the efficiency of the ramp terminals and traffic control,” he said Wednesday, adding that the DOT doesn’t yet have concrete solutions lined up.
Route 120 between Lebanon and Hanover is the most trafficked corridor in the region, according to the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission, which just wrapped up its own look at the roadway.
The state highway is particularly congested during morning and afternoon commutes — 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. — and sees high truck traffic, the commission said in a report issued over the summer.
Overall, roughly 20,000 vehicles travel Route 120 near the Hanover town line daily, according to 2019 traffic counts.
While it may seem like most of those cars are headed to and from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center — the Upper Valley’s largest employer and a draw for patients throughout northern New England — other institutions also contribute to traffic, said Meghan Butts, the planning commission’s interim executive director.
Those include Lebanon High School and the Hanover Street School, which have student pickup and drop-off during regular commuter hours, and establishments within the city’s nearby downtown neighborhoods.
“It’s twice a day, five days a week and that’s about it. That’s where our problems lie,” Butts said.
While engineers could construct more lanes to deal with traffic, Butts implored the DOT to also consider improving pedestrian and bicycle access, goals that were a main focus as the planning commission drew up its report last year. That document calls on Lebanon and Hanover to invest in park-and-rides, trails and greater access to public transportation that could take cars off the road.
“In the transportation world, we know when we build more road lanes that cars will fill them up again and we’ll still have a traffic problem,” Butts said.
Her views appear to be widely shared by those who have already participated in the DOT’s Route 120 survey.
Some pointed out that Hanover Street can be challenging for cyclists, who struggle to find alternative options in the hilly neighborhood.
Others said Route 120 north of Exit 18 can be dangerous for cyclists, and suggested extending sidewalks and bike lanes to the Hanover town line.
Elsewhere, people said the Route 120 intersection with Heater Road can be confusing for some drivers who don’t understand options for turning.
Traffic lights and the perceived shortness of green lights also are a common theme among the survey respondents.
“It’s basically impossible to leave Lebanon at 7:45 am Monday through Friday,” one person wrote of the Exit 18 interchange.
Lebanon Planning Director David Brooks said the state has made previous attempts to solve congestion issues, including the addition of a lane as Route 120 approaches Heater Road.
Brooks added that he also hopes whatever plan the DOT formulates for Route 120 will include some pedestrian and bike improvements, saying he’s often heard requests for a crosswalk at Etna Road.
“I think we’re hopeful that at least certain facets of that can be included,” he said.
Information on the ongoing Route 120 study is on LebanonNH.gov under “NHDOT I89/Exit 18 Project Feedback.”
The state also maintains a website on the project at NH.gov/dot/projects/lebanon29612/index.htm.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.