CONCORD, Mass. – The New Hampshire Department of Transportation is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the U.S. for NH Route 12 improvements in North Walpole and Charlestown, New Hampshire. This work is proposed along an approximate 2.8-mile stretch of NH Route 12 beginning at the intersection of NH Route 12/Church Street and Main Street, west of the Len-Tex Corporation building in North Walpole and ending near the intersections of NH Route 12/and NH Route 12A in Charlestown. The project is partially Federally-funded and the Federal Highway Administration is the lead Federal agency.
The proposed work involves the placement of approximately 6.30 acres of fill in waters of the U.S. in conjunction with the improvement of 2.8 miles of NH Route 12. This work will include 146,979 square feet of permanent fill to the Connecticut River, 700 square feet of permanent fill to unnamed streams and Jabes Hackett/Meadows Brook, 25,122 square feet of permanent fill to unnamed wetlands, 101,536 square feet of temporary fill to unnamed wetlands, and impacts to approximately 43.47 acre-feet within the 100-year floodplain.
The applicant’s project purpose is to improve the conveyance of traffic and to address safety concerns along this deteriorated section of NH Route 12 between Walpole and Charlestown. This is proposed to be accomplished by the reconstruction of 2.8 miles of NH Route 12 which will include the widening, shifting and updating of NH Route 12 to accommodate for two 11-foot travel lanes, and two paved 4-foot to 5-foot shoulders.
The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps in compliance with Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which provides for federal regulation of any work in, or affecting navigable waters of the U.S.; and with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U.S. waters, including wetlands. The public notice, with more specifics on the proposed work by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, can be viewed on the Corps website at www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.
Public comments on this work proposed by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (file # NAE-2017-01513) should be forwarded no later than Sept. 21, 2017 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Christopher Marron), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Christopher Marron at 978-318-8977 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: christopher.r.marron@usace.army.mil.