The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District is currently reviewing two applications from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, or Mass DOT relating to the South Coast Rail Project. They are: the “State of Good repair” project and the SCR “Phase 1” project.
The “State of Good Repair” project involves repairing and replacing 52 culverts and 7 bridges which carry three existing freight lines: the first one, the Middleborough Secondary line, from Middleborough (Pilgram Junction) west to East Taunton (Cotley Junction), the second the New Bedford Main Line, from Cotley Junction, south to New Bedford, the third, the Fall River Secondary, from the junction of the New Bedford Line and the Fall River line (Myricks Junction), southwest to Fall River. This repair/replacement project would fill 20,461 square feet of waters and wetlands within the Corps 404 jurisdiction and is subject of a Corps pre-discharge notification (PDN) under the Massachusetts General Permit number1 for maintenance of a transportation facility. We expect a decision on whether the fill for this project qualifies for the Mass GP by the end of July or early August 2018.
The ” Phase1” project would involve filling an additional ½ acre of waters and wetlands along these same rail lines to allow for widening of the rail embankments to modify curves, add track etc. to facilitate extending commuter rail service to New Bedford and Fall River. This “Phase 1” project is the subject of a standard permit evaluation including a Public Notice issued July 3, 2018, expiring August 3, 2018. An Environmental Assessment will be prepared before a decision is made. The public notice and plans are available at: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/regulatory/PublicNotices/NAE-2007-00698-PN.pdf. Interested parties are invited to comment.
For more information, please contact the Richard.A.Roach@usace.army.mil by e-mail or by calling 978-318-8214 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts).
Updated July 13, 2018