MassDOT's Highway Division and EOHED are working together on the
I-93 Tri-Town
Interchange project because it presents opportunities to improve safety
and alleviate traffic congestion on local and regional roadways and to serve as
a catalyst for sustainable, regional economic development. The Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) is the lead agency for environmental review.
This project will relieve congestion on I-93 and local roadways in the area. To
prepare the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the Environmental Impact Report
(EIR), the project team will investigate alternatives to satisfy state and federal
guidelines. The document will identify project impacts and propose ways to minimize
them.
Currently, I-93 operates with four lanes south of the Tewksbury/Wilmington town
line and three lanes to the north. In the peak morning and afternoon travel times,
drivers are allowed to use the breakdown lane in the three-lane section. This was
always considered a temporary solution.
To improve highway safety and reduce congestion in this section of I-93, the Highway Division
has recommended extending the add-a-lane segment from the current three-lane configuration
up to Interstate 495 (5 miles). Extending the fourth lane will implement a permanent,
long-term solution to accommodate existing volume between Interchange 41 and I-495,
which has been managed by allowing vehicle travel in the breakdown lanes. The design
team anticipates that the lanes can be added by using space currently dedicated
to a grass median, rather than widening the highway.
FHWA is the lead agency for the environmental review. The project will follow a
joint National Environmental Policy Act and Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act
(MEPA) review process. The federal NEPA and state MEPA processes have similar goals:
to identify the least environmentally damaging alternative that also protects public
health and safety while meeting the project purpose and need. The processes are
concurrent and the parties will consult with each other with the goal of producing
a joint document and arriving at similar conclusions.
The NEPA process includes submitting a Letter of Initiation to the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), filing a Notice of Intent (NOI), holding a public Scoping
Meeting and submitting a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS). After a public hearing on the FEIS is held and the comment
period closes, FHWA will issue its Record of Decision (ROD) on the approved project
and the Highway Division can begin final design.
The MEPA process includes filing an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) and Notice
of Project Change (NPC) and submitting a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)
and Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). The Secretary of Environmental Affairs
issued a Certificate outlining a scope of work on February 8, 2008. A Notice of
Project Change updated the state environmental planning process to include extending
the fourth lane on I-93 from the new interchange to Interstate 495. A public hearing
will be held on the FEIR and the Secretary of Environmental Affairs will issue a
determination following a comment period.
You can find a detailed description of the environmental review process by following
this link to the project Process
Fact Sheet. The anticipated schedule for federal and state environmental reviews
is outlined in the Schedule section of this page.
The I-93 Tri-Town Interchange project represents the latest step in a long multi-community
effort to alleviate traffic congestion and facilitate economic development and commercial
expansion opportunities. The communities are depending on combined input from stakeholders,
regional planning agencies, regulators and the Commonwealth to achieve these goals.
In 2001-2003, the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC) performed the "Interstate
93 Corridor Study" with funding from MassHighway and FHWA. Combining the findings
of the Corridor Study with those of a subsequent study performed by MassHighway
and FHWA, the MVPC prepared an Interchange Justification Report (IJR), which provided
a preliminary evaluation of the potential benefits of the project as well as possible
alternatives. The IJR will need to be amended to reflect the eventual preferred
alternative's developed interchange, prior to filing the DEIR/EIS.
The Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council (MVEDC) has been working as a
neutral facilitator with the three towns of Andover, Tewksbury and Wilmington. The
three communities formed (by intercommunity agreement) as a regional entity on the
Tri-Town Task Force and adopted a sustainable vision for the preservation and future
development of land within the project limits. Their goal is to facilitate the development
of nearly 700 acres into a sustainable mixed-use area that supports smart growth
centers.
The Highway Division and EOHED are working with the Tri-Town Development Task Force and the
state's I-93 Working Group to coordinate regional planning. The Task Force and Working
Development Group also act as key interfaces between the project team, local constituents,
elected officials and developers. Active participation by the three affected communities,
property owners, businesses and developers, and other interested parties will be
important to meeting project goals.
You can find more information on community development initiatives on the
page.
MassDOT and EOHED's approach to public involvement includes consultation with
local communities, regional and local planners, economic development agencies, elected
officials and advisory groups, environmental and community groups, members of the
public, developers and business organizations. The goal of the public involvement
program is to maximize access to information and provide opportunities for community
residents and business and land owners to learn about the project and comment on
key proposals and milestones. Project fact sheets will be posted on this site, along
with documents and meeting notices. MassDOT and EOHED welcome your input and
encourage you to submit written comments, which the project team will carefully
consider as it develops the refined preferred alternative.