Contact
Highway Supervisor:
Bob Henry
Phone/email:
523-4344
highway@canaannh.org
Mechanic:
Open Position
Phone/Email:
523-4501 x 502
chdmechanic@canaannh.org
Hours:
Winter 7 AM to 3:30 PM Monday through Friday
Summer 6 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Thursday
Emergency:
(Hanover Dispatch)643-2222
Safety First
The Road Agent would like to remind residents of a few rules that can help make the road agent’s job more efficient and our roads safe for all:
- Overnight parking between 11 pm and 6 am is banned from November 1 to the following April 16
- Do not push snow across the roadway
- Do not park within 10 feet of the roadway
- Do not snowplow snow into the roadway
- Please yield to snowplows
- All driveway culverts are the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain per RSA 236.13VI
- Winter Sand is available seasonally at the Transfer Station for RESIDENTIAL use. The sand is intended to be used by the bucket and not by the truck load. Misuse of the sand pile could result in limitations of elimination of sand provisions.
Protecting our Environment:
The Highway Department has switched from Calcium Chloride to Magnesium Chloride with rust inhibitors to make it less corrosive on cars, lessen environmental impact and reduce cost.
Highway Department Responsibilities
- Build and maintain 43.7 miles of dirt road and 38.78 miles of paved road
- Maintain town properties
- Repair and maintenance of all town equipment
- Provide support to: Transfer Station, Cemeteries, Government Buildings, Emergency Management, and Water & Sewer Department
Winter
- Road plowing, sanding, salting, and drainage work
- Plowing of parking lots and sidewalks
- Repair of storm damage to trees and roads
Care of Paved Roads
- Patching of paved roads
- Regrinding and repaving of all paved roads
- Stripping of paved roads
Care of Dirt Roads
- Ditching, culvert cleaning and replacement, road-side tree cutting
- Grading and raking of gravel roads
Maintaining Road Materials
- Crushing stone and concrete for road material
- Screening sand for winter sand
The Town will annually invest money in rebuilding the bases of dirt road. The worst drainage areas of our dirt roads are being targeted for rebuilding. Funding only allows for rebuilding of a small part of the worst sections each year. The key is to continue this process each year over the next twenty years.
The process removes the existing road by a depth of from 2 to 4 feet. The next step is to assure that the ditches have adequate depth and will drain water away from the road. The Department then puts in a drainage layer of stone above a membrane when necessary to keep the upper driving layers dryer. Those drive layers of gravel are the final step. The goal is to redo between a half mile and a mile of dirt road a year. The Town has 43.7 miles of dirt road with about a third needing major repair.
List of State Monitored Bridges
Map of Canaan Bridges
CIP Bridge Replacement Plan
Road Locations, Descriptions, and Limitations
The Town of Canaan has 8 bridges that are large enough that they are inspected by the State every year and receive an assessment of their quality. There is a red list that is created by the state that lists bridges which have a structural issue that needs to be addressed but which usually does not prohibit the use of the bridge. On these bridges, the state provides funding of 80% of the cost of the repairs or replacement, although the waiting list is currently over 10 years. We have two bridges on the red list.
The first red list bridge to be replaced is the bridge that crosses Indian River on Potato Rd. The issue on this bridge is that the wooden decking needs replacement. This is scheduled for replacement in 2022. We currently have sufficient funding for the 20% local share of the cost for replacing this bridge. The sufficiency rating is 28%.
The second red list bridge is the first bridge crossed as you enter Grist Mill Hill Road from Route 4. The issue on this bridge is that the concrete decking is leaking water that is allowing rust to form on the steel I-beams. Our plan is to reconstruct this bridge by 2024. The sufficiency rating on this bridge is 71%. We maintain a capital reserve account for the local share of bridge repair and replacement.
“For a full report of all Highway vehicles, please read the Mechanics equipment report 2023.
Last updated 10/25/23.
Trucks
6-Wheel Dump Truck,10-Wheel Dump Truck, 1-Ton Plow Truck, Pickup Truck
Heavy Equipment
Backhoe, Excavator, Grader, Loader
Other Equipment
Asphalt Hotbox for Patching, Road Roller, Roadside Mower, Small Utility Tractor & Bucket, Snow Plows, Tree Chipper
The Highway Department is willing to deliver free fill from road projects if people request it and sign a waiver of liability on the delivery and use of the material. Call Bob Cushman at 523-4344 to request the fill and download a waiver form here.
Roads are posted every Spring. Watch here for details or sign up for town notices.
When Canaan Roads have restricted weight limits, you may ask for a waiver. Open this form, print and & complete it, and then fax it to 603-523-7581. On some browsers, you can also fill out the form electronically, save it, and then attach to an email sent to highway@canaannh.org