New Hampshire Route 112

New Hampshire Route 112
Route information
Maintained by NHDOT
Length:	56.39 mi[1] (90.75 km)
Major junctions
West end:	US-302/NH Route 10 in Bath
	U.S. Route 3 in North Woodstock Interstate 93 in North Woodstock
East end:	NH Route 16/113 in Conway
Highway system
New Hampshire Routes ← NH 111A NH 113 →

New Hampshire Route 112 (abbreviated NH 112) is a 56.39-mile (90.75 km) long east–west state highway in northern New Hampshire. The highway winds across the state, connecting Bath to Conway via the scenic and mountainous area of the White Mountain National Forest. Part of this highway, which runs through the White Mountains, is known as the Kancamagus Highway. This highway is known for its views of autumn foliage and is a popular drive in September and October for so-called leaf peeping tourism.

The Kancamagus Highway is a 26.5-mile (42.6 km)-long two-lane road that runs east and west through the White Mountains^[2] and constitutes the eastern half of New Hampshire Route 112. It has been designated a National Scenic Byway by the United States Department of Transportation under the name Kancamagus Scenic Byway.

The highway stays open all winter, although it occasionally closes for short periods while crews clear heavy snows. Its only major intersection, Bear Notch Road, which connects with the town of Bartlett, is closed all winter.^[3]

Following Hurricane Irene in August 2011, two sections of Route 112 were closed, pending repair work and evaluation of damage. The Kancamagus Highway was closed from the Sabbaday Falls picnic area across Kancamagus Pass to the Discovery Trail parking area in the eastern part of Lincoln. A section of the western portion of Route 112 along the Wild Ammonoosuc River was closed; as of September 6, 2011, a single lane of the western section had been reopened.^[4]

Route description

View along NH Route 112 in the White Mountains

The eastern terminus of NH 112 and the Kancamagus Highway is in the town of Conway at New Hampshire Route 16 (the White Mountain Highway) and New Hampshire Route 113. Traveling almost entirely within the White Mountain National Forest, the highway follows the Swift River valley west and climbs to the summit of Kancamagus Pass at an elevation of 2,855 feet (870 m), then descends to the valley of the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River, which it follows to Lincoln, the western terminus of the Kancamagus Highway. NH 112 continues west, crossing Interstate 93 and U.S. Route 3 in North Woodstock, then climbing through Kinsman Notch and descending northwest along the Wild Ammonoosuc River to its western terminus, in the town of Bath at U.S. Route 302 and New Hampshire Route 10, about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Vermont border.

History

The Kancamagus Highway

The Kancamagus Highway opened in 1959 after two dead-end stretches of road were linked, creating a connection between Interstate 93 in Lincoln and New Hampshire Route 16 in Conway.

The highway is named after Kancamagus (pronounced "Kank-ah-maw-gus", The Fearless One^{[citation needed]}), third and final Sagamore of the Penacook Confederacy of Native American tribes. Nephew of Wonalancet and grandson of Passaconaway,^[5] Kancamagus ruled what is now southern New Hampshire. Wearied of fighting English settlers, he made the decision in 1691 to move north into upper New Hampshire and what is now Quebec, Canada.

Scenery along the highway

• 

  Lower Falls on the Swift River

• 

  Rocky Gorge on the Swift River

• 

  Covered Bridge in Albany, New Hampshire

References

1. ^ New Hampshire Routes 101-125
2. ^ "Kancamagus Scenic Byway". National Scenic Byways Program. http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2458/. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
3. ^ Kancamagus Highway Closures
4. ^ "511 Info". NH Department of Transportation. http://hb.511nh.com/main.jsf. Retrieved September 6, 2011. 
5. ^ http://www.sidis.net/PASSChap4.htm

External links

• Kancamagus Scenic Byway
• Kancamagus Highway