New Hampshire Route 12A
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New Hampshire Route 12 is a long north-south
state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in southwestern
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
. Its southern terminus is at the
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
state line in Fitzwilliam, where it continues south as
Massachusetts Route 12 Massachusetts Route 12 is a north-south state highway that runs through central Massachusetts from a continuation of Connecticut Route 12 at the Connecticut state line at Dudley to the New Hampshire state line at Winchendon where it continue ...
. Its northern terminus is at the
Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
state line in Claremont (a terminus it shares with
New Hampshire Route 103 New Hampshire Route 103 (abbreviated NH 103) is a east–west highway in west-central New Hampshire, United States. The highway runs from Claremont, at the Vermont border on the Connecticut River, to Hopkinton, west of Concord. The western term ...
), where it continues north as
Vermont Route 12 Vermont Route 12 (VT 12) is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield to Morrisville. Moose are most often encountered on four roads in Vermont, of which this is one. They are seen from Worcester to Elmore. Rou ...
. Most of the northern part of NH 12 runs along the
Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
. Its number is derived from its original 1922 designation as
New England Interstate Route 12 , , , , , The New England road marking system was a regional system of marked numbered routes in the six-state region of New England in the United States. The routes were marked by a yellow rectangular sign with black numbers and border ...
(also known as the "Keene Way"). Present-day
Vermont Route 12 Vermont Route 12 (VT 12) is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield to Morrisville. Moose are most often encountered on four roads in Vermont, of which this is one. They are seen from Worcester to Elmore. Rou ...
, New Hampshire Route 12,
Massachusetts Route 12 Massachusetts Route 12 is a north-south state highway that runs through central Massachusetts from a continuation of Connecticut Route 12 at the Connecticut state line at Dudley to the New Hampshire state line at Winchendon where it continue ...
and
Connecticut Route 12 Connecticut Route 12 is a state highway that runs between Groton and the state line in Thompson. History Route 12 was preceded by New England Interstate Route 12. The southern terminus of NE-12 was originally at New London, Connecticut. It trave ...
still mostly follow the original route. The four-state series of State Route 12s extend from
Morrisville, Vermont Morrisville is a village in the town of Morristown, Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 2,086. Morrisville has two country clubs, a hospital, a school featuring Greek architecture and an air ...
, to
Groton, Connecticut Groton is a town in New London County, Connecticut located on the Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The Naval Submarine Base New London is ...
.


Route description


Fitzwilliam to Keene

NH 12 begins in Fitzwilliam where it connects to
Massachusetts Route 12 Massachusetts Route 12 is a north-south state highway that runs through central Massachusetts from a continuation of Connecticut Route 12 at the Connecticut state line at Dudley to the New Hampshire state line at Winchendon where it continue ...
at the state line. The highway heads northwest into the town center where it crosses NH 119. NH 12 continues northwest through
Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...
, then dips into parts of
Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...
and Swanzey before entering the city of Keene. Immediately after crossing into Keene, NH 12 intersects the northern terminus of NH 32 then meets NH 101 near
Keene State College Keene State College is a public liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is part of the University System of New Hampshire and the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Founded in 1909 as a teacher's college (originally, Keene Norma ...
. NH 12 turns west along NH 101, then meets NH 10 at a
roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
. NH 10 joins NH 12 and NH 101 west to the next intersection at NH 9. NH 101 ends while NH 10 and NH 12 turn north with NH 9 eastbound in tow. The three routes are multiplexed for as they bypass downtown Keene to the west. NH 9 and NH 10 split off at a
trumpet interchange In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using ...
while NH 12 continues northwest. The highway interchanges with NH 12A on its way out of town.


Surry to Charlestown

NH 12 enters the southwestern corner of Surry, then turns nearly due west, crossing into the town of Westmoreland. It intersects the northern terminus of NH 63 near the
Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
, then turns north and enters Walpole. Now paralleling the eastern bank of the river, NH 12 heads north towards the town center. It intersects with NH 123, which connects to
U.S. Route 5 U.S. Route 5 (US 5) is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Springfi ...
in the neighboring town of
Westminster, Vermont Westminster is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,016 at the 2020 census. It is also the first capital of the Republic of Vermont. It borders the state of New Hampshire. History Westminster is Vermont's olde ...
. NH 123 south joins NH 12 north and the two routes run in a
wrong-way concurrency A concurrency in a road network is an instance of one physical roadway bearing two or more different route numbers. When two roadways share the same right-of-way, it is sometimes called a common section or commons. Other terminology for a concurre ...
until crossing the Cold River, where NH 123 splits off to the east. NH 12 continues north along the river and crosses into Charlestown where it meets the northern terminus of NH 12A. The highway continues through downtown, then intersects NH 11, which connects to
Interstate 91 Interstate 91 (I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. The Interstate generally follows the course of the Connecti ...
and
US 5 U.S. Route 5 (US 5) is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Spring ...
in nearby
Springfield, Vermont Springfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,062. History The land currently recognized as Springfield is the traditional land of the Pennacook and Abenaki people. One of the ...
. NH 11 east joins NH 12 north and the two routes continue north. A second, northern segment of NH 12A splits off to bypass Claremont while NH 11 and NH 12 head towards the downtown area.


Claremont

In downtown Claremont NH 11 and NH 12 intersect with NH 103 and split after a overlap. Facilitated by a traffic circle, NH 11 joins NH 103 eastbound while NH 12 joins NH 103 westbound. NH 12 and NH 103 cross the Sugar River, then parallel it to the northwest (which they do for the remainder of their lengths) back towards the Connecticut River. Heading west, NH 12 and NH 103 cross NH 12A, then turn northwest and cross the river into
Ascutney, Vermont Ascutney is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Weathersfield, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of Weathersfield, in the portion of that town adjacent to Mo ...
. NH 103 ends at the state line while NH 12 becomes
Vermont Route 12 Vermont Route 12 (VT 12) is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield to Morrisville. Moose are most often encountered on four roads in Vermont, of which this is one. They are seen from Worcester to Elmore. Rou ...
.


History

NH 12 was originally designated in 1922 as part of
New England Interstate Route 12 , , , , , The New England road marking system was a regional system of marked numbered routes in the six-state region of New England in the United States. The routes were marked by a yellow rectangular sign with black numbers and border ...
, a regional highway stretching from Route 1 (modern
U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
, which partly runs on
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
) in
New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...
, to
Derby, Vermont Derby is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,579 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous community in Orleans County. The town contains four unincorporated villages: Beebe Plain, Clyde Pond, Lake Sa ...
, where it terminated at
Route 2 The following highways are numbered 2. For roads numbered A2, see list of A2 roads. For roads numbered B2, see list of B2 roads. For roads numbered M2, see list of M2 roads. For roads numbered N2, see list of N2 roads. International * AH2, As ...
(modern
U.S. Route 5 U.S. Route 5 (US 5) is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Springfi ...
) near the border with
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. It was known as the "Keene Way," reflecting its route through
Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in, and the County seat, seat of Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,047 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 23,409 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Keene is ho ...
. In 1926, the
New England road marking system , , , , , The New England road marking system was a regional system of marked numbered routes in the six-state region of New England in the United States. The routes were marked by a yellow rectangular sign with black numbers and border. M ...
was usurped by the system of
United States Numbered Highways The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...
and in ca. 1932, Route 12 was redesignated as state highways bearing the number 12 (although a portion of Route 12 in southern Connecticut swapped designations with Route 32 at the same time). In the 1960s,
VT 12 Vermont Route 12 (VT 12) is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield, Vermont, Weathersfield to Morrisville, Vermont, Morrisville. Moose are most often encountered on four roads in Vermont, of which this is one. T ...
was truncated from Derby to its present terminus in Morrisville, with the former highway remaining as parts of VT 14, VT 16 and US 5. The highway as a whole has remained largely unchanged since.


Junction list


New Hampshire Route 12A

New Hampshire Route 12A is a designation held by two
state highways A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
which bypass separate sections of NH 12. Although not directly connected, the two segments are linked by an section of NH 12 in Charlestown.


Southern segment

The southern segment of NH 12A is a
loop route In road transportation in the United States, a special route is a road in a numbered highway system that diverts a specific segment of related traffic away from another road. They are featured in many highway systems; most are found in the Int ...
of NH 12 which bypasses Westmoreland and Walpole. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with NH 12 in Keene. Its northern terminus is at an intersection with NH 12 in Charlestown. This section of NH 12A begins at an interchange with NH 12 north of downtown Keene. The highway initially heads northeast, then turns north to parallel the
Ashuelot River The Ashuelot River is a tributary of the Connecticut River, approximately long, in southwestern New Hampshire in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of , including much of the area known as the Monadnock Region. It is the longest tri ...
and enters the town of Surry. NH 12A passes through the center of Surry and continues north into Alstead. In Alstead, NH 12A continues north until intersecting with NH 123. NH 12A joins NH 123 and the highway intersects NH 123A before turning west along the Cold River. The road turns north to cross the river, then NH 12A splits from NH 123. NH 12A continues northwest through the town of Langdon before crossing into Charlestown. NH 12A terminates at NH 12 in the southern end of town.


Northern segment

The northern segment of NH 12A is a long
spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the s ...
of NH 12 that travels south-to-north along the eastern side of the
Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with NH 11 and NH 12 in Charlestown. Its northern terminus is at
US 4 U.S. Route 4 (US 4) is a long United States highway that runs from East Greenbush, New York, in the west to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the east, traversing Vermont. In New York, US 4 is signed North-South to reflect its alignment in the sta ...
and NH 10 in Lebanon. This section of NH 12A starts in northern Charlestown where it splits from NH 11 / NH 12. It runs along the eastern side of the
Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
, bypassing downtown Claremont to the west. After crossing the Sugar River, NH 12A crosses NH 12 and NH 103, which cross into
Ascutney, Vermont Ascutney is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Weathersfield, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of Weathersfield, in the portion of that town adjacent to Mo ...
, just to the west. Now paralleling its parent route, which has become
Vermont Route 12 Vermont Route 12 (VT 12) is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield to Morrisville. Moose are most often encountered on four roads in Vermont, of which this is one. They are seen from Worcester to Elmore. Rou ...
across the river, NH 12A continues north into the town of Cornish. Bridge Street offers a local connection to VT 12,
US 5 U.S. Route 5 (US 5) is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Spring ...
and VT 44 in neighboring
Windsor, Vermont Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As the "Birthplace of Vermont", the town is where the Constitution of Vermont was adopted in 1777, thus marking the founding of the Vermont Republic, a sovereign state until 1791, when ...
. NH 12A continues through western Plainfield without any major junctions, then enters the city of
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
. NH 12A continues north and interchanges with
Interstate 89 Interstate 89 (I-89) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States traveling from Bow, New Hampshire, to the Canadian border between Highgate Springs, Vermont, and Saint-Armand, Quebec. As with all odd-numbered ...
before terminating at
US 4 U.S. Route 4 (US 4) is a long United States highway that runs from East Greenbush, New York, in the west to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the east, traversing Vermont. In New York, US 4 is signed North-South to reflect its alignment in the sta ...
/ NH 10 in West Lebanon village.


Related routes

*
New England Interstate Route 12 , , , , , The New England road marking system was a regional system of marked numbered routes in the six-state region of New England in the United States. The routes were marked by a yellow rectangular sign with black numbers and border ...
, the designation carried by NH 12 in the 1920s


See also

* *
List of state highways in New Hampshire The following is a list of state routes in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. All routes in the state are maintained by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. New Hampshire route markers feature the profile of the Old Man of the Mountain ...


References


External links


New Hampshire State Route 12
on
Flickr Flickr ( ; ) is an American image hosting and video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was a popular way for amateur and professional ...

New Hampshire State Route 12A
on Flickr
Old New Hampshire State Route 12A
on Flickr {{DEFAULTSORT:New Hampshire Route 012
012 012 may refer to: * Tyrrell 012, a Formula One racing car * The dialing code for Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassie ...
Transportation in Sullivan County, New Hampshire Transportation in Cheshire County, New Hampshire Keene, New Hampshire Charlestown, New Hampshire Claremont, New Hampshire