miller state park utility work
June 10, 2021 Update
Repairs to the Auto Road are now complete, and today, Thursday, June 10, 2021, the Auto Road will reopen to vehicles and pedestrians. The Eversource construction and restoration of the Miller State Park Utility Project is now complete, and all associated equipment and materials have been removed from the Park.
June 4, 2021 Update
Beginning Monday, June 7 through Thursday, June 10, the Auto Road will be closed to both pedestrians and vehicles for road repairs. During this time, trucks and other equipment will be present in the parking lot and along the Auto Road, and flaggers will be present to assist with the safe flow of traffic. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
May 28, 2021 Update
The Eversource construction is substantially complete as of, May 27, 2021, and on May 28th, the Auto Road was opened to vehicles and pedestrians. Thank you for your patience and understanding while we completed this important project.
Due to contractor scheduling and with approval from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Auto Road will be closed to both pedestrians and vehicles for road repairs beginning Monday, June 7, 2021 – Thursday, June 10, 2021. Approved vegetation trimming in the lower “existing” utility corridor will also be conducted in the coming weeks to ensure tree branches have sufficient clearance from new wires.
May 25, 2021 Update
This week, work will continue to complete the parking lot improvements, the staging area will be broken down, dumpsters removed from the site, and final restoration throughout the Park will be completed. Repairs along the Auto Road and preparation for paving will also begin. Removal of the Eversource-owned, above ground electrical conduit (brown color) is complete, and the adjacent above ground conduit system (gray color) will remain in place until new communications equipment is installed, after completion of the Eversource construction. The Auto Road will be reopening to vehicles and pedestrians as scheduled, on Friday, May 28, 2021.
Due to contractor scheduling and upon approval from the Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Auto Road will need to be closed at a future date to both pedestrians and vehicles for final paving operations.
Trucks and other equipment will still be present in the parking lot and along the Auto Road. Flaggers are present to assist with the safe flow of traffic. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
May 7, 2021 Update
Exactly 15 working days since the first pole was set in the ground, the newly constructed distribution line has been energized and put into service. Individual customer facilities will be cutover to the new system over the next several weeks. The removal of the old overhead electric lines and electric conduit on ground systems will continue as well as restoration of the disturbed areas in the utility corridor, at the summit and along the Auto Road. The Auto Road will remain closed to vehicles and pedestrians until May 28, 2021.
Next week, the approved vegetation removal adjacent to the Park parking lot will be starting, and crews will continue restoring temporary access roads and removing matting. Trucks and other equipment will be present in the parking lot, along the Auto Road and throughout the utility corridor. Flaggers will be present to assist with the safe flow of traffic.
For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
May 5, 2021 Update
Wire stringing over the Wapack Trail is now complete, and beginning today, Wednesday, May 5, 2021, weather permitting, wire stringing across Route 101, adjacent to the Park, is anticipated to begin. A police detail and traffic control will be utilized to safely complete this work.
Other construction activities taking place the remainder of the week include vegetation trimming in the upper “new” utility corridor to ensure vegetation remains away from new wires. In addition, approved vegetation removal adjacent to the Park parking lot will be conducted starting Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Underground trenching and equipment installation will continue on private property at the summit, and the generators installed last week will continue to provide service to customers, while the power line is rebuilt. Crews will also start restoring temporary access roads and removing matting.
Flaggers will be present to assist with the safe flow of traffic. Trucks and other equipment will be present in the parking lot and along the Auto Road. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
May 3, 2021 Update
Wapack Trail Temporary Delay: On Monday, May 3, 2021, weather permitting, crews will finish installing wire on poles in the lower “existing” utility corridor adjacent to the Wapack Trail. The trail will not be closed, but hikers may experience a brief delay while wires are being installed directly over the trail. Flaggers will be present at the locations where the trail and utility corridor intersect to ensure hiker safety.
Other construction activities taking place this week include underground trenching and installing equipment on private property at the summit. Generators installed last week will continue to provide service to customers for approximately two weeks, while the power line is rebuilt. Crews will also start restoring temporary access roads and removing matting and other equipment/materials.
Wire stringing across Route 101, adjacent to the Park, is anticipated to be conducted on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, weather permitting. A police detail and traffic control will be utilized to safely complete this work.
Flaggers will be present to assist with the safe flow of traffic. Trucks and other equipment will be present in the parking lot and along the Auto Road. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
April 28, 2021 Update
Beginning Wednesday, April 28, 2021, and continuing through Friday, April 30, 2021, crews will begin installing wire on new poles in the utility corridor adjacent to the Wapack Trail. The trail will not be closed, but hikers may experience a brief delay while wires are being installed directly over the trail. Flaggers will be present at the locations where the trail and utility corridor intersect to ensure hiker safety.
Other construction activities taking place the remainder of the week include the continued pole installation in the lower “existing” utility corridor and underground trenching on private property at the summit. Underground trenching across the Auto Road is complete, however temporary pavement will be installed this week, weather permitting. Generators will be also be installed, beginning Wednesday, April 28, 2021, adjacent to the Auto Road to provide power, for approximately two weeks, while the existing power line is removed and rebuilt.
Flaggers will be present to assist with the safe flow of traffic. Trucks and other equipment will be present in the parking lot and throughout the Park as well. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
April 26, 2021 Update
Please be advised, on Monday, April 26, 2021, crews will be begin work to install a pole adjacent to the Wapack Trail and Auto Road in the lower “existing” utility corridor. The trail will not be closed, but hikers may experience a brief delay when the pole is set.
Other construction activities planned this week include new pole installation in the lower “existing” utility corridor adjacent to the Park parking lot. Underground trenching on private property and wire stringing continuing in the upper “new” utility corridor will also occur. Underground trenching across the Auto Road is complete, however crews will be working in the early part of the week to install temporary pavement.
Flaggers will be present to assist with the safe flow of traffic. Trucks and other equipment will be present in the parking lot and throughout the Park as well. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
April 22, 2021 Update
The Auto Road is now closed to pedestrians and vehicles until May 27, 2021, as construction vehicles and other equipment are traveling along the road throughout the day. Crossing the Auto Road on the Wapack Trail at the crosswalk is permitted, and flaggers are present to assist with the safe flow of traffic.
Underground trenching across the Auto Road will continue through the end of the week. Pole installation in the lower “existing” utility corridor has begun, in addition to the upper, “new” utility corridor. Matting within the utility corridor will also continue, as well as the delivery of equipment and materials to various work sites throughout the Park. As we are working in lower elevations, you may hear sound generated by construction and see equipment in the utility corridor. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
Starting today, crews will begin attaching ropes to poles ahead of wire stringing in the upper utility corridor. Wire stringing in this location may begin as early as tomorrow, and will be completed with bucket trucks.
Construction updates and Project information can also be found at eversource.com/miller-state-park-project
Please note the schedule is subject to change due to weather or unexpected circumstances.
April 19, 2021 Update
Construction resumed at the Park on Monday, April 19, 2021, with underground trenching and pole installation continuing on private property near the summit. Underground trenching across the Auto Road, and pole installation in the upper, “new” utility corridor, will begin as well. The work at the summit will be ongoing in the coming weeks. Access road construction and matting within the utility corridor will also continue, including the delivery of equipment and materials to various work sites throughout the Park.
Flaggers will be present to assist with the safe flow of traffic. Trucks and other equipment will be present in the parking lot and throughout the Park as well. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
Please note the schedule is subject to change due to weather or unexpected circumstancesConstruction updates and Project information can also be found at www.eversource.com/miller-state-park-project
April 14, 2021 Update
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, underground trenching and pole setting will begin on private property near the summit, and on Thursday, April 15, 2021, underground trenching will begin across the Auto Road, with pole installation beginning in the upper, “new” utility corridor.The work at the summit will be ongoing in the coming weeks.
Access road construction and matting within the utility corridor will also begin, and the delivery of equipment and materials to various work sites throughout the Park will continue throughout the week.
Flaggers will be present to assist with the safe flow of traffic. Trucks and other equipment will be present in the parking lot and throughout the area as well. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
Construction updates and project information can also be found at eversource.com/miller-state-park-project
April 12, 2021 Update
Beginning Monday, April 12, 2021, Eversource and thier contractors will begin mobilizing construction equipment and materials to Miller State Park. Activities planned for this week include:
- Construction of the staging area in an approved section of the parking lot
- Delivery of equipment and materials to the Park and various work sites throughout the Park (including traversing along the Auto Road)
- Installation of signage
- Construction of access roads and private property at the summit
- Beginning Thursday, April 15, 2021,
- Installation of new poles will begin in the upper, also known as “new” utility corridor
- Underground trenching will begin across the Auto Road at the summit
Flaggers will be present to assist with the safe flow of traffic. Trucks and other equipment will be present in the parking lot and throughout the area as well. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
Construction updates and Project information can also be found at eversource.com/miller-state-park-project
Please note the schedule is subject to change due to weather or unexpected circumstances. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns; I can be reached at 603-505-0279 or via email.
Public Information Session
A public Information session was held on March 16, 2021. This session outlined the construction timeline and provided details as to how the work will effect Miller State Park visitor experience.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO
Questions about the project or the virtual public information session can be directed to nhparks@dncr.nh.gov
April 5, 2021 Update
Beginning Monday, April 12, 2021, Eversource and our contractors, JCR Construction, Co., Supreme Industries, Inc., Twin State Utilities Corp., and Northern Tree Service, Inc., will begin mobilizing to the Park to construct an area in a designated section of the parking lot to temporarily store materials and equipment during construction, and will also begin transporting materials and equipment to the various work locations within the Park. For the safety of your family and our crews, please do not approach the work zones.
Beginning Thursday, April 15, 2020, construction within the Park will begin. The Auto Road will be closed to automobiles and pedestrians between April 15, 2021, and May 27, 2021, to ensure safety of the public during construction. Pedestrian access to the summit can be obtained by hiking the Wapack Trail or Marion Davis Trail.
March 11, 2021 Update
New Hampshire State Parks and Eversource are working together to rebuild the existing electrical infrastructure from Route 101 to the Summit. The project will update the power line to current electrical and safety standards in order to meet current and future demand. Existing wood structures, wire and surface mounted conduit will be removed, and new poles and wire will be installed. A new underground power line will be constructed crossing the Auto Road and onto private land, and ending at the summit.
Anticipated Schedule
- Finalize Permitting: First Quarter 2021
- Public Information Session: March 16, 2021
- Begin Construction: April 2021
- Complete Construction: Summer 2021
- Complete Restoration: Third Quarter 2021
Work will take place Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 6 pm. This schedule may change due to weather or other unexpected circumstances.
Project Facts
Lower Utility Corridor – Overhead Line Construction
- The lower utility construction begins at the Miller State Park parking lot and ends near the building
- Poles and wire will be removed and replaced with new poles and wire in the existing utility corridor.
- Park users may experience temporary trail closures on the Wapack Trail where it crosses the utility corridor during pole setting and wire stringing activities.
Upper Utility Corridor – Overhead Line Construction
- This construction begins approximately halfway up the mountain and will be constructed in a new corridor between the Auto Road and Wapack Trail.
- New poles and wire will replace non-compliant above ground conduit system.
Summit – Underground Line Construction
- The Upper Utility Corridor overhead line construction transitions to underground line beginning at the building. Trenching and conduit will be installed from the building, across the Park Road, across private land adjacent to the Park Road, and to the Department of Environmental Services Building adjacent to the fire tower.
- An overhead line will be installed off-road and will serve the lower Crown Castle (private land) site.
Auto Road Closure
- The Auto Road will be closed to automobiles and pedestrians between April 15, 2021, and May 27, 2021, to ensure safety of the public and provide for a concentrated construction window. Pedestrian access to the summit can be obtained by hiking the Marion Davis Trail or Wapack Trail.
- After May 28, 2021, pedestrian access from the Auto Road to the summit will be provided by a temporary trail bypassing the summit construction and connecting to the Marion Davis Trail.
Temporary Trail Closure
- Wapack Trail – A portion of the trail may be temporarily closed where the trail crosses the utility corridor when poles and new wire are installed in this area. Signage will be placed at the location where the trail and utility corridor intersect, at the summit and in the Park parking lot to notify hikers prior to the closure.
Other Construction Facts
- Generators will be installed at different locations throughout the Park to provide power while the existing line is de-energized during construction.
- Construction equipment will be working in multiple locations adjacent to the Auto Road throughout the park. For your safety, please do not approach work crews.
- Construction may be loud at times, especially while working at the summit excavating the underground trench. The process includes hammering through the ledge to achieve the required trench depth. This type of excavation will be loud, and it will be continuous until all trench routes are installed. Eversource is making every effort to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible.
- A section of the parking lot will be blocked off and used as a construction staging area.
January 6, 2021 Update
Throughout 2020, the N.H. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Eversource, and state and local stakeholders continued developing a plan to upgrade the infrastructure at the summit. Adjacent to the Eversource utility work, the Department and stakeholders secured necessary funding to transition the overhead utility lines at the summit to underground service to preserve the summit esthetics utilizing the mobilized construction equipment for the work.
Eversource worked toward obtaining the necessary permits for the overall project and in August 2020, Eversource and the Department agreed to postpone construction until Spring 2021 to limit impacts to park visitors during the busy foliage season. Prior to construction, the Department will hold a Public Information Session providing an overview of the planned utility safety upgrade project, anticipated construction timeline, and public outreach plan.
October 17, 2019 Update
On October 16, 2019 the N.H. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources held a public information session regarding a utility safety upgrade project at Miller State Park.
The meeting focused on Phase I which will upgrade the utility lines and the utility corridor from NH Route 101 to just below the summit of Pack Monadnock. The work proposed includes vegetation clearing to create a new utility corridor, the replacement of existing old wooden utility poles with 16 new poles and the installation of 16 additional new poles in the new utility corridor, ending at the former FAA Building near the summit. Work this fall focus’ on clearing vegetation of the new utility corridor. Next spring utility poles will be set and the electric and telecommunications lines moved onto the new poles. Once completed, the existing infrastructure will be discontinued and removed. Public use of the Miller State Park road and the adjacent trails is not expected to be impacted, however, visitors to the park may see construction and forestry equipment and hear construction noise.
Phase II planning in the summit area is ongoing and is more complex due to multiple termination points of the utilities (electric and telecommunications) to several buildings located on both public and private lands. DNCR will have an additional public information session when more details are available.
Update
The Miller State Park utility infrastructure project is permitted and overseen by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The project managed by Eversource within the Department of Transportation (DOT) Right-of-Way (ROW). Per RSA 371:17, all State lands (outside of NH DOT ROWs) and state waters (public) require licensing (permission) for the placement and location of public utility facilities either above ground, on the ground or below ground. The road at Miller State Park was declared a state highway on April 3, 1907 (Laws of 1907, Chapter 104), making it applicable to state right-of-way easement use/access.
Public information session to address utility safety upgrade project at Miller State Park
Project documents:
September 29, 2017 Update
The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission will host a public information session for a utility project at Miller State Park. The meeting will be held October 12, 2017 at Shieling Forest in Peterborough. The utility project is designed to address safety and reliability issues at the park.
Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. to provide attendees with the opportunity to meet and discuss the project with the state agency staff as well as representatives from Eversource, the lead utility for the project. A brief project presentation will begin at 6:00 p.m.
Shieling Forest is located at 397 Old Street Road in Peterborough.
August 28, 2017 Update
The New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation is working with a multi-stakeholder team comprised of public utility companies, multiple state agencies, and communications service providers for a project involving Miller State Park on Pack Monadnock.
Stakeholders identified for input and involvement in this project thus far include the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands along with the Division of Parks and Recreation, the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, the New Hampshire Department of Justice, Eversource Energy, FairPoint Telecommunications, and FirstLight. The project goal is to correct National Electric Safety Code and right of way easement deficiencies of existing facilities in a legal, well documented, safe, and coordinated manner. These facilities provide electric power and telecommunication services to the communication towers and ancillary buildings at Miller State Park
Presently, utility service to the summit from the base is a mixture of utility poles through the woods, transitioning to surface mounted conduit, and transitioning once again to utility poles near the summit. Some of the utility service connections transition again into surface mounted conduit to the ancillary buildings. Over the next few months the utility companies, and possibly the NHDOT, will be surveying the proposed routes and roadway. There will likely be surveyor stakes, markings and flagging as they lay out potential routes. Several options are being considered. The goal at this point is to determine the most economical, easily maintained and least impact option to the Park. The final plan may potentially follow along roadside right of way.
Various options researched and considered to date will be shared as well as any preliminary plans and tentative schedules will be presented. Additional updates to this web page will be provided as the project advances and new information becomes available. For more information contact MillerProject@nh.gov.
Update May, 2017
The Division of Parks and Recreation is working with the NH Public Utilities Commission and Eversource energy to correct safety deficiencies for the electric power and telecommunication service to the communication site at Miller State Park on Pack Monadnock. The present situation was created over time in a haphazard manner and now we are seeking to correct it in a safe, legal, documented, coordinated manner. Presently service to the summit from the base is a mixture of utility poles through the woods, then surface mounted conduit, and once again on utility poles at the summit. Over the next few weeks the utility will be surveying the proposed routes and you may see stakes and flagging as they lay out routes. Several options are being considered, however, at this point the most economical and easily maintained may be along the road side right of way.
