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

U.S. Department o~.
Homeland Security .
United States
Coast Guard
Commander
First Coast Guard District
One South Street
Battery Park Bldg.
New York, NY 10004
Staff Symbol: dpb
Phone: (212) 668-7165
Fax: (212) 668-7967
16591!5.9/H
Merrimack RiverlMAI
December 28, 2011
Ms Pamela A. Stephenson
Division Administrator
Federal Highway Administration
55 Broadway, loth Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142
Mr. Richard K. Sullivan Jr.
Secretary, EOE&EA
100 Cambridge St
Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114
Mr. Thomas Broderick
Acting Chief Engineer
MassDOT
Ten Park Plaza
Boston, MA 02116-3973
AIT: James Cerbone
Dear Ms. Stephenson and Messrs Sullivan and Broderick:
The Coast Guard has completed its review of the EAlDEIR for the Whittier Bridge/I-95
Improvement Project. We have found the document to be generally well written and
comprehensive. We offer the following comments:
a. Reference to inclusion of a protective fender system is made at various places in the EA.
(page 5-64, Section 5.17.2 and Page 6-15, Section 6.14) However, discussion with
MassDOT project personnel as well as project consultants have revealed that no fender
system is included in the proposed construction and presently the Coast Guard does not
plan on requiring fender protective system.
b. It should be noted that the contractor's plan and schedule for work in the waterway must
be reviewed and approved by the Coast Guard well in advance ofcommencement of work.
Requests for approval of any anticipated channel closures must be submitted to the Coast
Guard at least 90 days prior to commencement.
c. Although the ongoing work at the downstream Hines (Deer Island) swing bridge is
scheduled to be completed prior to commencement of the Whittier Bridge construction,
the possibility of delays at Hines always exists. Therefore, the construction team should be
prepared to coordinate construction plans and schedules if necessary.
d. Limits of demolition of existing substructural elements will be dictated by Corps of
Engineers and Coast Guard requirements.
e. While the existing vertical clearances under the Whittier bridge are proposed to be
maintained there is no indication that future navigation can be accommodated by those
clearances. Ifthis is so, a reasoned extrapolation to future navigation should be shown.