For years, the state had planned to expand Route 101 in Bedford, but they won’t be starting anytime soon.

On Jan. 15, New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch submitted the state’s 10-year highway transportation plan to the Legislature, and it does not include renovations to Route 101 in Bedford.

The new 10-year plan focuses on repairing red-listed bridges and those in need of critical repair.

Even as recent as July 2006, the state’s 10-year transportation and improvement plan included widening Route 101 to five lanes for approximately two miles from Route 114 to Wallace Road. There would have been two lanes in each direction plus a middle lane for left turns only. That project was slated to cost about $12.25 million, with work scheduled to begin in 2014.

“Certainly, from the town perspective, we were disappointed Route 101 in Bedford was not on the list, but we understand the constraints put on the state,” said Bedford Planning Director Rick Sawyer,.

Bedford town officials said they would like to see the improvements to Route 101 in Bedford but understand what the state is trying to do.

Bedford Police Chief David Bailey said for decades Route 101 in Bedford has caused issues for emergency response.

“It can be a major problem,” he said. “The state has been good to us over the years so, hopefully, they will make this project a priority somewhere down the road.”

Bailey, who is also chairman of the Bedford Highway Safety Committee, said the committee’s views are the same.

Chief Bailey considers the intersection of Meetinghouse Road and Route 101 as one of the worst intersections in Bedford.

“It causes a bottleneck,” he said. “Any plan the state comes up with needs to look at that whole stretch (of Route 101).”

According to Sawyer, the Meetinghouse Road/Route 101 intersection is considered a complete failure during peak hours of travel by the state.

“With the airport access road opening up, we fully expect Route 101 will see a significant increase in traffic,” said Sawyer.

Even with the announcement there will be some work on Route 101 in Bedford funded by the state.

A state project for the Hardy and Jenkins roads intersection at Route 101 – where the new Hannaford grocery store is being built – calls for a traffic light and additional turn lanes.

“For the store to open, a traffic light must be operation at that intersection,” said Sawyer.

Hannaford is paying the town side and the remaining amount is being paid with state and federal money. The project is projected to be completed this fall.

In addition, the Route 3 bridge over the Everett Turnpike is a red-listed bridge and will have about $13.3 million of work done starting in 2013.

Town Councilor Michael Scanlon said the announcement about the state dropping Route 101 from its 10-year road improvement plan doesn’t surprise him.

“It seems like the state is walking away from its responsibilities,” he said.

The Town Council is looking to make improvements to the Nashua Road/Route 101 intersection as part of secondary access to Bedford High School.

But Scanlon said this announcement most likely won’t affect their opinion of the project. “We have always felt that project would be funded through the town, and not the state,” he said.

Sawyer said the Nashua Road Route 101 project would provide some immediate relief to the current Route 101 situation, but does not solve everything.