CONCORD, Mass. – The Maine 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 United States in conjunction with constructing a connector road between I-395 and Route 9 between Brewer and Eddington, Maine.
The Maine Department of Transportation plans to place fill material in numerous waterways and adjacent wetlands between Brewer and Eddington in order to construct a connector road between I-395 and Route 9.
The proposed work will include the construction of a two-lane road. The road will be a limited access roadway and is designed to improve regional system linkage, public safety, and the current and future flow of traffic and goods and services between I-395 and Route 9. Currently, the project remains in the planning stage. The Maine DOT has presented a preliminary application to assist the Corps in determining which of the project alternatives should be carried forward to a future final application and/or identified as the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is reviewing the project concurrently and has published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The DEIS can be viewed at http://www.i395-rt9-study.com/home.html.
The Maine DOT and the Federal Highway Administration will be conducting a public hearing for this project on May 2, 2012 from 6 – 8 p.m. in the Eddington Elementary School in Eddington, Maine. The Corps will be in attendance to address questions and concerns on federal permit requirements.
The Corps has determined that the basic project purpose is to provide for the safe and efficient flow of east-west traffic and shipment of goods from Brewer (I-395) to Eddington (Route 9), for current and projected traffic volumes. The Maine DOT has identified Alternative 2B-2 as the preferred alternative. The Corps public notice provides information comparing the aquatic resource, natural resource, and socio-economic impacts of Alternative 2B-2 as well as the other build alternatives being considered by Maine DOT.
The Corps is seeking public comment to help determine whether any of these alignments is the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative. Compensatory mitigation will be required for any unavoidable impacts to waterways and wetlands.
The proposed project is located in Felts Brook and other unnamed streams and adjacent wetlands within Brewer, Eddington and Holden, Maine.
The application for the federal permit was filed by the applicant with the Corps of Engineers in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in United States waters, including wetlands; and with Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which provides for federal regulation of any work in, or affecting navigable waters of the United States.
The public notice can be viewed on the Corps website at http://www.nae.usace.army.mil. Select Regulatory and then public notices or go directly to http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Regulatory/Public%20Notices/.
Public comments referencing this permit request (File # NAE-2001-02253) should be forwarded no later than May 17, 2012 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Maine Project Office (ATTN: Jay Clement), 675 Western Ave., #3, Manchester, Maine 04351. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Jay Clement at 207-623-8367, Extension 1 or by email to jay.l.clement@usace.army.mil.