Concord’s newest state liquor store will open Thursday, the latest step in the long-discussed plaza alongside I-93 Exit 17 in Penacook.

City-overseen construction on Hoit and Whitney roads, especially the two-lane roundabout at the intersection, is continuing. The roundabout is open to a single lane of traffic. It may be open for two lanes of traffic as early as the end of the month.

The plaza, officially named Merchants Way, will be anchored by a Market Basket supermarket that cannot open until the roundabout is complete. Construction on the new shopping center – which will serve residents in Penacook and the surrounding towns of Boscawen, Canterbury, Webster and Salisbury, among others – has been going on for more than a year.

Market Basket has long said it will open the store in the fall. A similar schedule is expected for the adjoining Home Goods store.

Work is continuing on a stand-alone Wendy’s eatery, and construction will begin shortly on a building that will hold a Service Credit Union and a Jersey Mike’s restaurant.

A 12-connection Tesla Supercharger station has been open for several months.

The 12,000-square-foot Liquor & Wine Outlet features 50 kilowatts of rooftop solar panels that will offset much of its annual electricity use.

Over the past year, the state has opened new Liquor & Wine Outlets in Rindge, Claremont, New London and Littleton and is building new outlets in Manchester and Nashua. Despite many state liquor stores located next to Market Basket supermarkets, liquor officials say there is no formal plan behind the pairings. Instead, the strategy is to open liquor stories in high traveled areas that are convenient and accessible.

The opening of the Market Basket will be the city’s third store from that supermarket chain. Concord also has a Hannaford store, two Shaws stores, an Aldi and a full supermarket inside Walmart. However, a recent Monitor analysis found that Concord did not have the most grocery stores per capita in the state. That title went to Bedford.

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