Million dollar railroad rehab project will see Haven Hill low bridge getting a raise

The low railroad bridge on Haven Hill Road will be raised in the next several years, the New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad president said earlier this week. (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - A longtime iconic nemesis of tractor trailer drivers will become a little less of a nemesis in the next few years when New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad raises the Haven Hill railroad bridge.
The news was exclusively released to The Rochester Voice on Wednesday by New Hampshire Northcoast President Dean Boyland, who said the railroad would soon be spending millions of dollars in the Rochester area on improvements to Northcoast Railroad infrastructure.
Included in the improvements are the replacement of four miles of track, expanding the propane storage capacity at Eastern Propane, raising the height of the Haven Hill Road bridge by three feet, adding signalization to the Rocky Hill Road, Somersworth crossing and installing new ballast and thousands of ties along the 42 miles of track the railroad maintains.
In the wake of high-profile train derailments in East Palestine, Ohio, and in Northern Maine, Boylan assured Northern Seacoast residents that New Hampshire Northcoast maintains an ongoing vigorous commitment to safety and maintenance of the track.
"Some of the safety protocols include a weekly crew inspection of the tracks on a truck designed to 'high rail' along the entire 42 miles of track," he wrote in a email sent The Rochester Voice. "There are also high-rail inspections before train movements after any extraordinary weather such as heavy rain, snow, ice or wind storms."
He said the railroad has spent millions of dollars in the past eight years on new ties, new crossing installations and upgrades.
The low bridge on Haven Hill Road has been the bane of many truckers over the years who have seen their rigs wrecked upon striking the span.

New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boston Sand & Gravel, maintains 43 miles of track between Ossipee and Rollinsford over which it carries mostly sand and gravel to Boston where it is used in various construction projects.
It also hauls some propane cars to Eastern Propane's facility in Rochester.
New Hampshire Northcoast operates under class 3 track standards. The trains that run over the line have an average speed of 20 mph and a maximum speed of 30 mph.