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. in conjunction with widening New Hampshire Route 101 in Bedford, New Hampshire.
The proposed work involves the placement of approximately 4.91 aces of fill in, and performing work within waters of the U.S. in conjunction with the widening and reconstruction of an approximate two mile stretch of New Hampshire Route 101 between Wallace Road and the intersection of Route 114/Boynton Street in Bedford.
The project is partially Federally-funded and the Federal Highway Administration is the lead Federal agency. The proposed work temporarily will impact approximately 1.24 acres of waters of the U.S., permanently impact approximately 3.67 acres of waters of the U.S. and impact approximately 0.10 acre-feet within the 100-year floodplain.
The applicant’s project purpose is to improve the conveyance of traffic and to address safety and capacity deficiencies of the New Hampshire Route 101 corridor through Bedford by widening the existing two-lane to provide two travel lanes in each direction, constructing a curbed center medium island and by providing sidewalks at specific locations along the corridor.
The project has been designed using the best available measures to avoid and minimize adverse impacts and mitigation for the project will include In Lieu Fee payment into the New Hampshire Aquatic Resource Fund.
The proposed project will impact 1,647 square feet of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for Atlantic Salmon at Riddle Brook. Loss of this habitat may adversely affect this species. However, the Corps has made a preliminary determination that the site-specific adverse effect will not be substantial. Further consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding EFH conservation recommendations is being conducted and will be concluded prior to the final permit decision.
The public notice, with more specifics on the work proposed by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, can be viewed on the Corps of Engineers website at www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx. The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U.S. waters, including wetlands.
Public comments on this work proposed by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (file # NAE-2016-02210) should be forwarded no later than Dec. 1, 2016 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Michael Hicks), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Michael Hicks at 978-318-8157 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: michael.c.hicks@usace.army.mil.