DNCR will provide funding, from funds provided by the National Recreational Trails Program and Private Donations, for the removal and salvage of rail, rail components, ties and other RR related infrastructure, from the Berlin Branch railroad. The rail removal project will begin at the point next to Oxbow Drive approximately 650 ft north of where project TB-2101 ended, in Bethlehem, and end at a point 2. 14 miles east on the trail to a point west of Wing Rd. in Bethlehem. Ending point delineation will be provided.

The New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Bureau of Trails is requesting sealed bids for removal and salvage of rail, rail components, ties, and other railroad infrastructure from the Berlin Branch Rail Corridor in Bethlehem, with proposals due August 7, 2026. The project scope spans approximately 2.25 miles (22,600 linear feet) of out-of-service track, beginning 650 feet north of the prior project boundary at Oxbow Drive and extending 2.14 miles east to a point west of Wing Road.

All bidders must be registered as New Hampshire State Vendors with current Secretaries of State certificates of good standing, and must demonstrate a minimum of five years of construction experience on similar projects. Davis-Bacon wage requirements and federal nondiscrimination provisions under FHWA Form 1273 apply.

The scope includes dismantling and removal of rail, joint bars, tie plates, and railroad ties. The contractor must transport all salvaged materials to the NHDOT rail yard in Whitefield, New Hampshire, and properly dispose of railroad ties. The project is structured as a lump-sum contract with a $10,000 allowance for unanticipated modifications. The contractor must provide a 100 percent performance and payment bond at least 15 days before construction commences, and obtain workers' compensation and commercial general liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, plus commercial umbrella liability of at least $1 million.

The anticipated project start is November 10, 2026 (pending Governor and Council approval), with a completion deadline of October 29, 2027. Liquidated damages of $300 to $600 per working day apply for delays beyond the deadline. Funding derives from the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Alternatives Program and Recreational Trails Program, supplemented by private donations. Questions are due July 24, 2026, with state responses posted by July 31. No mandatory pre-bid meeting is required. The bid package is available as of June 29, 2026.