Together, We Can Improve the Route 33 Corridor in Greenland
Written by Bob Dion and Kathleen Babin-Johnson, Guest Columnists
Oct. 9, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET
The Route 33 bridge over the Winnicut River in Greenland, NH is failing on many fronts. It is time to address all of its problems. The bridge is narrow, unlit, overgrown, and offers no safe space for pedestrians or cyclists. School children who cross it daily call it “sketchy.” Peak-hour traffic queues can stretch a full mile in both directions, potentially delaying emergency responses, and blocking neighborhood access. The nearby intersection increases the danger. Bayside and Winnicut Roads connect to Route 33 at odd angles that create blind spots, and cause delays for drivers just to reach the highway.
The bridge is also an environmental failure. A fishway installed beneath the bridge in 2006 was to restore upstream spawning access for migratory fish such as alewives and river herring. It has never worked. The high water velocity through the channel makes fish passage impossible. By widening the bridge span, the water velocity could be reduced, thereby restoring this critical habitat.
Rolston Park is adjacent to the Route 33 bridge. It is the only upstream public access to the Winnicut River. In its current state, the access is difficult for an able-bodied person wanting to fish or kayak, and prohibitive for a disabled person. The park contains a culvert that is inadequate to manage stormwater runoff, causing contamination of the Great Bay watershed.
Currently the NH Department of Transportation rates the Route 33 bridge deck as being in need of repaving. If the bridge is repaved without addressing the additional hazards, the window of opportunity for a meaningful modernization plan will close, locking in failure for another generation. Ideally, all of these issues would be solved in a single, coordinated project. The Winnicut River Project (WRP), is a start for doing just that.
Supported by the Town of Greenland, the WRP is a nonpartisan project written by Greenland residents and funded by a Great Bay 2030 Grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The WRP aims to create a shared vision for the needed upgrades of the NH Route 33 corridor in Greenland that balances transportation and safety needs with environmental stewardship and recreation.
Towards this vision, the WRP Team, in collaboration with Plan NH, is seeking input and ideas from Greenland residents, Town leaders, and business owners during a design planning weekend on Friday and Saturday October 16 and 17 in Greenland. All residents are invited and encouraged to participate in one of two Public Input sessions on Friday October 16 at the Parish House, 44 Post Road, Greenland. The first will be held in the afternoon from 3 until 4:30 p.m. The second will take place Friday evening from 6 until 7:30 p.m. Town leaders and abutters are invited to a Stakeholder Input session, also on Friday. Residents, and all other interested parties, are also invited to attend Plan NHs public presentation of their design ideas on Saturday October 17 at 3pm at Greenland Central School, 70 Post Road in Greenland.
The WRPs “sister” Great Bay 2030 grant project: the Fishway Modification Design and Permitting Project, will prioritize habitat restoration of the Winnicut River by creating a design for a functional fishway.
The WRP team is hopeful that the design planning weekend results in a functional, popular design that benefits residents, commuters and the environment. Ideally, this will attract the funding needed to make the Route 33 corridor in Greenland a safer place for everyone who uses it now and for generations to come.
To contact us, learn more, and to take the WRP Survey, please visit WinnicutRiverProject.org.
Bob Dion is a member of the Winnicut River Project Board. He is Chair of the Greenland Planning Board, and was appointed as a Greenland commissioner to the Rockingham Planning Commission in 2023.
Kathleen Babin-Johnson is a member of the Winnicut River Project Board. She is Chair of the Greenland Conservation Commission, a Natural Resources Steward, and a project management professional.