CONCORD, Mass. – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation – Highway Division (MassDOT) is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in conjunction with discharging fill material into the North Beverly Drainage Ditch at Route 1A (Cabot Street) in Beverly, Massachusetts.

The proposed work involves the discharge of 635 square feet of fill material into the North Beverly Drainage Ditch associated with the replacement of the culvert conveying the North Beverly Drainage Ditch under Route 1A (Cabot Street) in Beverly.

The purpose of the work is to replace the structurally deficient culvert with a new culvert. The proposed work would replace 16 feet of the existing 3-foot by 4-foot stone box culvert with 16 feet of new 42-inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), and reconstruct approximately 100 feet of associated retaining wall. Sediment build-up at the culvert inlets will be removed and rip-rap will be installed.

Although this project may have only minimal impacts and may be eligible for authorization under the current Massachusetts General Permit, the work is not expected to begin until after the General Permit expires on January 20, 2015. The applicant is seeking an individual permit to allow for a full five years in which to complete the work.

The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps of Engineers in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge for fill of material in U.S. waters, including wetlands. The public notice, with more specifics on the proposed work, can be viewed on the Corps website at: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.

Public Comments on this proposed work by the applicant (file #NAE-2014-00348) should be forwarded no later than June 19, 2014 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Dan Vasconcelos), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Dan Vasconcelos at 978-318-8653 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: Daniel.b.vasconcelos@usace.army.mil.