Brattleboro/Hinsdale Bridge
Brattleboro, VT/Hinsdale, NH
Professional Services Provided
- Environmental Documentation
Description of Professional Services
Environmental documentation and engineering services to VTrans and NHDOT to locate and permit a transportation crossing of the Connecticut River near Brattleboro. Crossing will replace existing functionally and structurally deficient Route 119 crossing. Prior to DuBois & King's assistance, the project had been on-going for 20 years without resolution. Working with States of New Hampshire and Vermont, Towns of Brattleboro and Hinsdale, local bridge committee, and the local regional planning commissions, we identified and parties agreed upon a selected alternative for new crossing.
This project is complex on all levels. Location of a new crossing just north of existing Route 119 crossing would have adversely impacted Brattleboro Historic District. Located just to the south of existing crossing is a CERCLIS hazardous waste site of contaminated coal tar residues. A layer of coal tar residues, approximately 1.2 to 3 meters thick (4-10 feet) extend from the river bank approximately 45 meters (150 feet) eastwards into the river. Completed Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment including river bed borings from a barge mounted drill rig to determine location and extent of southerly migration of coal tar deposits.
Rehabilitation of existing bridges for vehicular traffic would have destroyed their historic significance. Selection of crossing location 350 meters south of existing crossing avoided all of the above resource impacts and minimized other resource impacts. The use of a long span bridge reduced number of piers to be located in Connecticut River and minimized river impacts. Aesthetic impacts associated with proposed long-span, high-elevation bridge were mitigated by design features.
The site location, resource impact minimization, and design mitigation features were the result of extensive Agency, public, and resource coordination efforts. Resource avoidance and resource minimization determinations were documented on a Project Alternatives and Resource Impacts Matrix, presented to public and various resource agencies. Documented historic and archaeological mitigation actions in Memorandum of Agreement. Back to Top
|
|
|
