LONDONDERRY — During an informative meeting in Londonderry on Thursday night, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Rausch stressed the Exit 4A project is “critical for the health and well-being of our state” and needs to be made a priority despite funding challenges.

Attended by Derry and Londonderry legislators, board members and town officials, along with local citizens, this week's public meeting offered the public a chance to learn the facts and ask questions about the often misunderstood — and long-awaited — Exit 4A project.

Organized by the Londonderry Commerce and Visitors Center, the evening's speakers included Rausch, Sen. Sharon Carson, Assistant State Transportation Commissioner Jeff Brillhart and Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission Executive Director David Preece.

“There seems to be a lot of misinformation about the I-93 project, particularly about Exit 4A,” Carson said Thursday night. “People want to know how it's going to impact their community.”

According to Rausch, the state's latest 10-year highway plan is now completed and awaiting Gov. Lynch's signature. Exit 4A is included in the plan, which also includes an amendment to increase the state's highway bonding by $250 million.

A common misconception, he noted, is that the exit would have a westerly connection. Rausch said this isn't correct.

“It only would connect to the east,” he said, noting that “this is a regional issue, not just a Derry and Londonderry issue.”

With the public hearing for the Woodmont Commons project now postponed until July, Londonderry resident Ann Chiampa noted that some of the misconceptions stemmed from early renderings of the expansive proposed orchard development, which suggested the addition of a 4A West. The inclusion of a 4A West has since been removed from the draft.

Actual plans for 4A include a new, mile-long roadway to connect the diamond-shaped interchange to the highway, Rausch said, with improvements to North High Street, Folsom Road and Tsienetto Road in Derry, and Route 102 into Londonderry also included in the plans.

“Our current Exit 4 is in failure, and the federal government is not going to pay for a highway widened and have a failed intersection,” Rausch said. “This is a safety issue and very, very important for our community. Exit 4A needs to be done at the same time I-93 is widened.”

Rausch vowed to work toward attaining funding for the completion of Exit 4A.

“The bottom line is each community, Derry and Londonderry, is committed to spending $5 million each for this project,” he said.

Londonderry Town Manager David Caron said the town has already spent around $1.7 million in engineering costs for the project, which has been matched by the town of Derry.

According to Brillhart, Exit 4A has been on the state's agenda since the early 1990s.

“The good news is Exit 4A is in the 10-year plan. I think its going to get a lot more juice once the environmental impact study is completed,” said Brillhart. “Still, it's not going to happen overnight. I-93 is a huge project for this state. It's moving forward, and we're making real headway. We're still short $250 million dollars, but Exit 4A needs to fit in somewhere.”

Preece agreed that 4A is a “regional priority,” one that needs to go hand in hand with the widening of I-93.

“Funding needs to be attained, and it needs to be done in conjunction with I-93,” said Preece. “So timing is very important. We know the funding is out there, but we need to put our arms around it.”

Several residents expressed concern over the project's implications.

“The problem is, when you look at the number of alternatives we've gone through … it's going to bring commercial traffic to Route 28 in Derry,” said Derry resident Leigh Hutchinson. “I doubt highly that the town of Londonderry is going to give us their tax dollars. Derry stands to lose nine properties by eminent domain.”

Others shared similar thoughts.

“You say it's a regional project, so why aren't the other towns chipping in?” asked Londonderry resident Steve Salvage. “I personally don't see where we have a voice in this. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen on our tax dollars.”

Salvage further noted that Woodmont Commons developer Mike Kettenbach, who owns several hundred acres of former orchard land along I-93, stands to gain from the addition of 4A, suggesting the developer might help cover some of the costs.

“He's the one making out on this: He's getting a new exit ramp,” said Salvage. “You are opening up 400 acres for one gentleman to benefit from.”

“There is nothing done with the highway where citizens don't have the opportunity to influence things,” Rausch responded. “I don't know who owns the land, and I don't really care. What I do care about is making sure my citizens have a safe highway.”

AGuilmet@newstote.com