The Hudson Board of Selectmen has taken a major step toward advancing long planned roadway improvements along Lowell Road and County Road, voting unanimously to authorize the purchase of key right-of-way and temporary easements needed to move the project into its next phase. The decision marks a significant milestone in a process that began years ago and has involved extensive planning, valuation work, and coordination with state and federal agencies.
Director of Development Services Elvis Dhima presented the proposal to the Board, outlining the history behind the project and the work completed to reach this point. He explained that the Planning Board launched a corridor assessment in 2019, examining potential improvements to the busy Lowell Road/County Road area. That study produced several scenarios, including a new connector road linking Belknap Road to Lowell Road, a change intended to ease congestion and improve traffic flow in one of Hudson’s most traveled corridors.
Dhima noted that the project is now included in the proposed State Ten-Year Transportation Improvement Plan, a placement that requires the Town to follow federal right-of-way acquisition procedures even though Hudson is not seeking reimbursement for the purchase. “The Town has completed third party property valuations for the required right-of-way, permanent easements, and temporary easements at 76 and 88 Lowell Road, with a combined estimated value of $210,000,” Dhima wrote in his memo. “In June 2026, the Planning Board recommended to the Board of Selectmen an expenditure of up to $300,000 for this purpose.”
During the meeting, Dhima revisited earlier challenges related to permitting. “I came here for an $80,000 change order. We did not have to execute that,” he said. “We were able to save $80,000 with my legendary memo that went out. It broke a lot of hearts, but we came through.”
He confirmed that the Town ultimately secured the necessary permit, though some conditions remain. “There’s some conditions related to it,” Dhima said. “We’re working with the Army Corps related to that, that’s a separate issue.”
Dhima emphasized that all required steps for the right-of-way purchase have now been completed. “All the parties are ready,” he said. “We had to go through the whole ordeal of getting third parties to do the right-of-way evals because, as you all know, this is going in a Ten-Year Plan. Even though we’re not requiring reimbursement for this, we’re still required by law to follow the federal process, which doesn’t make any sense to me because we’re not getting reimbursement, but long story short, we’re in. We got everything, it’s good to go.”
With the Board’s approval, the Town will proceed to closing on September 9, allowing attorneys to finalize payments and transfer the necessary property rights. “So with the Board’s approval tonight, we can cut a check for our attorney who is going to pay these folks, and then we get the right-of-way that we need to complete this project,” Dhima said.
The Board unanimously approved the purchase for an amount not to exceed $216,438, using Zone 1 Traffic Improvements (2070000701) and Zone 2 Traffic Improvements (2070000702), as recommended by the Development Services Director and the Planning Board.
