If you’re driving on Route 202 through Henniker and Hopkinton, be prepared to slow down.
The latest phase of building a roundabout at the intersection of Route 202 and Old Concord Road on the town border has begun now that winter is over. Traffic is being shifted to the north side of the road and the speed limit lowered to 35 mph, with flaggers to lower it further during work hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The “hybrid roundabout” is scheduled to be finished in November. It’s called a hybrid because the east-west travel of Route 202 will keep two lanes in each direction but the north-south travel of Old Concord Road, also known as State Route 127, will have just one lane in each direction.
Travelers on Route 202 probably know the intersection, just west of the Contoocook River, because of its relatively isolated Dunkin.
Improving this intersection has been discussed for years, with public meetings held by the state Department of Transportation as far back as 2021. Among other ideas, officials considered putting up a traffic light, which would be less expensive but would interfere with through traffic on a major east-west highway.
Roundabouts are much less likely to cause serious accidents than four-way intersections, especially when a high-speed route like Route 202 is involved.
The roundabout is totally in Hopkinton but will touch the town border. The work includes new overhead signs and drainage improvements. Weaver Brothers Construction Company of Bow is the contractor for the $5.64 million project.
