City of Nashua
Public Works Division
9 Riverside Street
Nashua, NH 03062
Engineering Department
9 Riverside Street
Fax (603) 589-3169
Date:
To:
From:
Ce:
Re:
MEMO
May 23, 2016
Brian S. McCarthy, President of Board of Aldermen
Stephen Dookran, P.E., City Engineer
Sonia Shahnaj, P.E., Senior Staff Engineer
Mayor Jim Donchess
Lisa Fauteux, Director of Public Works
(R-16-038) Authorizing the Mayor to enter into an Amendment to the Railroad Agreement with
the State of New Hampshire and Pan Am Railways for the purpose of replacing a railway
highway crossing on East Hollis Street
- Request for the first and second reading at the May 24, 2016 meeting
The original three-way Agreement was executed in August 2015, but the work did not proceed essentially due to
financial hurdles involving the Railroad as they were unable to allocate funding to purchase materials needed for the
project. Since NHDOT does not have a policy of paying upfront, the Railroad and the NHDOT requested the City to
bear the upfront cost of the materials approximately in the amount of $130,000.00. The City will be fully reimbursed
by NHDOT for this cost after the project is complete. The timing is critical for the following reasons:
1. According to the NHDOT, who is administering the Federal funds, if the project is not completed in the 2016
Federal funding year which ends in September 2016, the funding will no longer be available for this project. In
order to complete this project by September 2016, the construction must begin no later than middle of July
2016.
2. The project is about 95% funded by FHWA and the remaining 5% is City’s share. Should the resolution be
referred to committees for recommendations, the current schedule for aldermanic meetings will put final
approval too late for the project and the City will be in jeopardy of losing Federal funding in the amount of
$606,299.87.
3. The City must make payment to the Railroad without delay for the Railroad to order the materials with long-
lead time to start construction by the July 2016 deadline.
The crossing on East Hollis Street has been in a deteriorated condition for many years and interim repairs have not
held up. This project will not only include the needed repairs but also upgrading the crossing to meet Federal railroad
safety standards. In addition to the improvements associated with railroad crossing, the project includes improvements
to curbing, sidewalk, new pavement and striping at the intersection.
Administration
Business Office
(603) 589-3140
Street/Traffic City Parks-Recreation
Department Engineer Department
(603) 589-4750 (603) 589-3120 (603) 589-3370
Solid Waste
Department
(603) 589-3410
Wastewater
Treatment Plant
(603) 589-3560
