A new infrastructure project in Sunapee is getting a boost from the Northern Border Regional Commission’s (NBRC) Timber for Transit Program, which promotes the use of wood in transportation infrastructure.
Sunapee will receive a $740,000 grant toward the $925,000 project that will replace the aging Sargent Road bridge with a modern structure designed to last for generations. Grant funding will be used for completing the engineering design, environmental review, easement acquisition, and construction of a new modern laminated timber bridge. Once completed, the new bridge will enhance safety, improve regional connectivity, and support development by utilizing a longitudinal glued-laminated timber deck and bridge rail.
The Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) administers the NBRC programs in New Hampshire, providing technical assistance to community leaders and organizations to advance local and regional development priorities.
The NBRC’s federal-state partnership established by Congress in 2008 to alleviate economic and community development challenges in northern counties from New York to Maine. In New Hampshire, the Catalyst Program supports eligible projects in all or portions of Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Merrimack, and Sullivan Counties.
The next round of Timber for Transit applications is due Aug. 29, an opportunity for more projects that enhance the New Hampshire economic vitality through the use of locally sourced, advanced timber products.
Timber for Transit Program includes bridges, welcome centers, bus stops, sound barriers, pedestrian pathways, and other transit-adjacent infrastructure.
For more information about the NBRC Catalyst Program, visit
www.nbrc.gov.