Final Environmental Impact Report - Whittier Bridge/I-95 ...

Whittier Bridge/I-95 Improvement Project FEIR
Chapter 2.0: Response to Comments on the Environmental Assessment/Draft Environmental Impact Report
projected $300 M price tag, especially given that most of that peak traffic will come to a full stop shortly after it
crosses the state line and reaches the Hampton Tolls. As to the projected 'D' Level of Service for the 'No Build'
solution (Table 3-3), that doesn't seem to be a problem for the section of I-95 between I-495 and Rt. 286 which would
still be at Level 'D' even after spending $300M (p. 5-19).
Response: The $300 million project cost is driven by the need to replace the structurally deficient
Whittier Bridge. Since MassDOT is making the investment to replace the bridge based on structural
deficiencies, the new bridge will be designed to accommodate future (2035) traffic volumes. The
MassDOT Highway Design Manual describes the minimum design level of service (LOS) for Urban
and Suburban Freeways to be LOS ―C‖, and therefore the new Whittier Bridge was designed with
eight lanes to meet the LOS ―C‖ criteria for both I-95 northbound and southbound based on future
(2035) traffic projections. Additionally, Open Road Tolling (ORT) lanes at the Hampton Tolls in New
Hampshire provides four ORT lanes which allow vehicles with an E-Z Pass transponder to travel at
highway speeds through the tolls, reducing congestion at the tolls.
JH-4: N-S Corridor: Neither of the bridges immediately to the north or south of the Whittier handles more than six
travel lanes. The Tobin Bridge also carries three lanes in each direction with no shoulders, while the Piscataqua to
the north carries three lanes with shoulders.
Response: The current six-lane cross section of I-95 from immediately south of the Merrimack River
to Exit 59 in Salisbury does not match the eight-lane cross section existing immediately south (from
Danvers to Newburyport) and north (from the I-495 interchange to the New Hampshire state line) of
the project limits and does not meet the current AASHTO standards for consistency in the number of
travel lanes. An important highway design principle is that the number of travel lanes be consistent
along any major route ―irrespective of changes in traffic volumes‖ to provide for safe travel
conditions. The intent is that the basic number of lanes (in this case, eight lanes) should be
established for a substantial length of freeway and should not be changed through pairs of
interchanges irrespective of traffic volumes entering or leaving the highway at any one interchange.
The MassDOT Highway Design Manual describes the minimum design level of service for Urban
and Suburban Freeways to be LOS ‗C‘, and therefore the new Whittier Bridge was designed with
eight lanes to meet the LOS ‗C‘ criteria for both I-95 northbound and southbound based on future
(2035) traffic projections.
JH-4A: Nevertheless, the DOT's contention that making the necessary repairs to the existing structure would
necessitate building a temporary bridge during construction and would thereby make that approach economically
unfeasible seems to be a convincing argument (p.5-49). I share the concerns of the Historic Preservation Office, but I
agree that building a temporary bridge is not a practical alternative. My only reservation is that your analysis and
conclusion can only reasonably be evaluated by another engineer and I am not sure that anyone in either the
commonwealth's legislative or executive branches with the appropriate qualifications has reviewed the report.
Response: As with any major project, a value/engineering (V/E) study was conducted for the project
by a qualified, independent engineering firm. The V/E study report supported the conclusions of the
design team as to the condition of the existing bridge and the need to construct a new replacement
bridge.
JH-5: As a layman, I am struck by the different approaches taken by the DOT toward the Whittier compared to the
Corps of Engineers toward the Sagamore Bridge. One can't help but wonder why a bridge of essentially the same
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