By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- Keene, N.H. — Two 10-ton bridge restrictions on Spring St. and Beaver St. now force fire apparatus to detour via Roxbury St. to reach East Keene. FireRescue1
- Added time: Detour adds ~1 minute under normal conditions; if Central Square/Roxbury access is blocked, response could be 5–8 minutes longer, the department says. FireRescue1
- Ops impact: Ambulances (under 10 tons) can still cross and will likely arrive first; search & rescue typically begins from those units. FireRescue1
- Mitigation: City plans to keep at least one lane open through next spring’s downtown infrastructure project and is coordinating alternate routes (e.g., old middle school lot cut-through). FireRescue1
- Next steps: Keene aims to replace the two red-listed 1920s bridges; exploring fund reallocation to accelerate Beaver St. work. FireRescue1
KEENE, N.H. — Newly posted 10-ton weight limits on two aging bridges in Keene are forcing fire trucks to reroute through Roxbury Street to reach parts of East Keene, a change that could add a minute to response times — and five to eight minutes if Central Square is obstructed, according to Deputy Chief Gregory Seymour. The city imposed the restrictions this month on the Spring Street and Beaver Street spans over Beaver Brook, citing structural deterioration in the 1920s-era bridges. FireRescue1
Seymour said the standard detour will not alter how crews fight fires in the neighborhood, because ambulances — which weigh under the 10-ton limit — can still cross and typically initiate search and rescue before heavy engines arrive. But he did not rule out crossing the restricted bridges with fire apparatus in a fast-moving, life-threateningscenario if the Roxbury route is unavailable. FireRescue1
The risk of longer delays could grow next spring as the downtown infrastructure project gets underway around Central Square, the main access point to Roxbury Street. City public works officials said at least one lane will remain open in each direction during construction and that the fire department will join weekly contractor meetings to flag disruptions early. Among contingency options: temporary access across the former middle school parking lot connecting Spring to Roxbury streets. FireRescue1
Keene is coordinating with the New Hampshire DOT to reallocate funds — potentially shifting dollars from a Maple Avenue bridge repair — to speed replacement of the Beaver Street bridge. The city also intends to replace both red-listed bridges in the longer term. FireRescue1
Officials urged residents to expect apparatus detours in East Keene and to remain mindful of work-zone traffic pattern changes as planning continues. FireRescue1