Local News
Multiple fatal crashes have occurred at the Bedford toll plaza on the F.E. Everett Turnpike in New Hampshire.
The Bedford toll plaza has a long history of serious crashes, including one that injured three people in 2024. New Hampshire State Police
A New Hampshire toll plaza with an extensive history of crashes is being removed.
Crews began decommissioning the Bedford toll plaza on the F.E. Everett Turnpike on Monday night, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT). Alternating lane closures lasted from 7 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday to allow for the removal of the old toll plaza equipment.
The transition to toll collection through an electronic system was successfully completed Monday. Workers removed traffic signals, overhead lane equipment, and some violation cameras, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire DOT said.
Preparation for the complete demolition of the toll booths is expected to begin as early as next week, and the schedule is currently being finalized, the spokesperson said Wednesday afternoon.
Officials expect demolition work to take up to 10 weeks to complete. It will necessitate multiple traffic pattern changes in the area.
“Motorists are encouraged to stay alert, follow posted signs, and allow extra time for travel as conditions may change throughout the project,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The toll plaza opened on January 4, 1989. It has 13 lanes, six in each direction and a “reversible” lane in the center.
The toll plaza has been the site of frequent crashes, including some that were deadly.
A Derry, N.H., man was injured in a crash near the plaza earlier this month.
In March, a New Hampshire State Police trooper assigned to Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s security detail pulled a driver from a flaming vehicle that had crashed at the plaza. That driver survived and was later identified as “Bob’s Burgers” voice actor and comedian Eugene Mirman.
A Massachusetts woman suffered minor injuries in a crash at the plaza a few days before Mirman’s crash. She was charged with driving under the influence.
In 2024, three people were hospitalized after a pickup truck struck the plaza. A Nashua man died at the scene of a crash at the plaza the week before.
Another fatal crash occurred at the toll plaza in 2018, NBC10 reported.
Ross Cristantiello
Ross Cristantiello, a general assignment news reporter for Boston.com since 2022, covers local politics, crime, the environment, and more.
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