VHB transportation leaders joined public- and private-sector peers at the 2026 New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) and American Council of Engineering Companies of New Hampshire (ACEC-NH) Technical Exchange Conference to share practical solutions and emerging best practices. Their sessions highlighted how planning, collaboration, and technology are reshaping infrastructure delivery in New England.
Improving Safety and Operations with Roundabouts in Pelham, NH
VHB Principal Gregory L. Bakos teamed with NHDOT Project Manager Anthony Puntin to present the Pelham Roundabouts project. The effort addressed growing congestion, long queues, and a history of crashes at the Mammoth Road intersections with Sherburne and Marsh Roads.
After evaluating alternatives—including signalization with added turn lanes—the team advanced single-lane roundabouts at both intersections. The approach improves safety and operations, reduces delay, and avoids wetland impacts at a lower overall cost. Constructed for a low bid of $2.1 million, the first roundabout has eliminated long queues and has been well received by Pelham Police and the traveling public. The community is now looking ahead to the second phase at Marsh Road.
Managing Risk and Complexity on RIDOT’s Largest Design-Build Project
VHB Providence Director of Transportation Jeff Klein and Skanska Vice President of Operations Steve DelGrosso shared lessons from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) $625 million I-95/Route 10 “I-95 15” design-build program—the largest design-build project in the agency’s history. Spanning six miles and 15 structurally deficient, functionally obsolete bridges in a high-volume urban corridor, the program uses Alternative Technical Concepts (ATCs) to balance owner value, schedule certainty, and public impact.
Key innovations include reducing work in Amtrak right-of-way, eliminating a center pier, and reconfiguring the I-95/Route 10 interchange to cut bridge deck area by about 30 percent. These strategies improve safety and traffic performance during construction while reducing exposure to high-impact delays. The presentation reinforced that ATCs are most effective when developed early, grounded in constructability, and focused on protecting the public throughout construction.
Advancing Digital Delivery in New Hampshire and Beyond
In a joint session on “Digital Delivery—State of the Industry,” VHB Transportation Engineer Aidan Cleaves and Transportation Technology Lead Jeff Bachiochi partnered with NHDOT’s Patrick Colburn to showcase how agencies are moving toward model-based project delivery. Topics included federal Building Information Modeling (BIM) roadmaps, infrastructure digital twins, and Federal Highway Administration initiatives focused on BIM for Infrastructure (BIM4I) and automated data collection and management systems (ADCMS).
The session also highlighted VTrans pilots in Chester and Colchester using 3D models, IFC rebar, XML surfaces, and model-based quantities—helping contractors and inspectors use digital deliverables during construction and support digital as-builts. The presenters outlined NHDOT’s vision for a unified digital delivery program in which 3D models are the primary deliverables, data is governed and shared across the enterprise, and digital as-builts connect to GIS and asset management systems. This work is supported by a four-year FHWA ADCMS grant and an NHDOT/ACEC/AGC advisory group developing standards, training, and pilot projects to “right-size” digital delivery for New Hampshire.
“Bringing these conversations together really underscores how our industry is moving the needle on safer, smarter, and more efficient transportation across New Hampshire and the region,” said New Hampshire Managing Director Dave Fenstermacher, who also serves on the ACEC-NH Board of Directors.
Learn more about VHB’s work supporting safer transportation, innovative delivery, and digital project solutions across New Hampshire.
