If there were any doubts about the suggestion that Route 3 in Hooksett -- between Benton Road and Martins Ferry Road -- needs repairing, the weekend’s storm cleared those up.

The many stores flooded in the Kmart plaza prove something underground isn’t working right.

That’s why state officials addressed the Hooksett Planning Board on Monday, Sept. 8, about ways to improve the highway.

“(The road improvements and the drainage concerns) go hand in hand,” said Michael Dugas, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s chief of preliminary design. State officials have secured a $4 million federal earmark to address the traffic and drainage issues, and yet that sum will not be enough to cover the full scope of the project. With the chance of receiving any additional funding for road work being slim, the state Department of Transportation and local Hooksett officials are in the process of determining which problems need urgent attention.

Dugas said no matter what type of improvement project they decide to pursue, installing two box culverts under Route 3, to replace two small pipes, is on the ticket.

“The culverts will have a much greater capacity,” he said. In this latest flash flood at the Kmart plaza, sections of the road had to be shut down, something that is happening more often as the weather changes.

Because floodwater was so deep from the storm, power had to be cut for the entire strip mall and only certain businesses had re-opened even as late Monday, Sept. 8.

David Katz of R.K. Associates, which owns the Kmart plaza in Hooksett, said the need for drainage improvement is dire. “We have been very actively involved in the process with the town, with the NHDOT and with some of our abutters to create some long-term drainage solutions,” Katz said. “We also need the DOT to execute the drainage improvement on Route 3. We’re extremely concerned about it.”

That state and local officials are in the midst of moving forward with improvement plans is a good sign, Katz said. “It’s all very timely, and we’re hoping to see some progress as a result,” Katz said.

On Aug. 27, state officials brought a plan to widen Route 3 to the Hooksett Town Council. The plan to ease traffic and drainage problems, if approved, would cost nearly $7 million, but the federal government has approved a $4 million earmark. Local and state officials are having a tough time trying to figure out the best way to spend that money.

There are several alternative options to consider, including narrowing the scope of the project or attempting to secure more funds. State officials said at the Aug. 27 meeting that their plan was meant more to address traffic than drainage issues.

Hooksett Town Planner JoAnn Duffy said it is important for everyone to understand the issues at stake.

“I think that the Planning Board has decided they would like to open up the lines of communication with the DOT so there are more cooperative efforts,” Duffy said. “I thought it would be beneficial for the planning board to be aware of some of the options.”

At that meeting, state Sen. Ted Gatsas said a decision regarding the road repairs should be made. Unless the federal money is spent in a timely manner, the earmark will disappear, he said. “(The money) will go away in a few years if it’s not spent,” Gatsas said. “I think it’s important that we move as quickly as we can with the project because floods will come and then the traffic really stops.”