Fleet Street Area Reconstruction Project

Project Status: January 2023

Design work continues however construction will be postponed until 2024 so as not to disrupt the downtown area during Portsmouth's 400th anniversary activities. The scope of the project has increased to cover areas of lower Congress St and Vaughn Mall. The City is also working on stormwater outfall upgrades which must be completed first in order to accommodate increased flows that will be generated by the separation of stormwater from the sanitary sewer.

Project Description

The City is moving forward with a sewer separation project on Fleet Street (CM 20-PW-100). It is required through the City's Long Term Control Plan and Supplemental Compliance Plan. The project includes water, sewer, drainage upgrades along with full streetscape rework and other pedestrian enhancements. Funding for this work will come from the water and sewer enterprise funds and the general fund (property taxes). Given the scope of this project, it will need to be completed in phases. The FY24 funding is for construction of a new drain line from Hanover St. to the North Mill Pond. Phase 2 will be Fleet Street from Hanover Street to Court Street as well as a potential expansion of the project limits as determined during the design. The expansion could include portions of Congress Street, State Street and Vaughan Mall. Downtown Aerial Utilities Underground (BI-21-PW-43) project is funded to bury the Fleet Street overhead utilities. Market Square Upgrade project (TSM-15-PW-61) will be coordinated with this project.

Department of Public Works consultant Flow Assessment Services, LLC (a sub-consultant to Underwood Engineers, Inc.) has conducted utility surveys of buildings in the area, working with the building owners, for project planning and design:

To identify the number and types of service pipes entering/exiting the building
To map the direction of the plumbing discharge flow
To maximize the benefit of planned project roadway/drainage/utility improvements to private properties

While the project is focused on Fleet Street from Hanover Street to Court Street, a larger area will be studied in the initial phases of engineering so that the utilities and other improvements can be properly designed. A map of the study area is shown below:

Fleet Street Project Area (not to scale)

For this map to scale, click here.

Anticipated Completion FY2024

Estimated Cost $11.2 million. $2.2 million funded FY23

Funding Source/Status Bonding and Water/Sewer Fund. CIP page 180-181

Designer/Contractor: Underwood Engineers, Inc.

The City conducted a survey seeking input from those in the Fleet Street Project Area (map below) regarding what they'd like to see for sidewalk and landscape improvements as part of the project. The City's contractors Underwood Engineers offered some examples of previous streetscape improvements. Among the considerations: