Programmatic Agreement for Approval of Categorical Exclusions

2) through-traffic dependent business will not be adversely affected;
3) the detour or ramp closure, to the extent possible, will not interfere with any
local special event or festival;
4) the temporary road, detour or ramp closure does not substantially change the
environmental consequences of the action;
5) there is no substantial controversy associated with the temporary road, detour,
or ramp closure;
All programmatic CE determinations made by MassHighway under this blanket classification must be
supported by documentation that indicates that all the required conditions are satisfied. The
Categorical Exctusion Determination Checklist with supporting documentation will serve as this
documentation.
As early as possible in the design phase, the MassHighway project manager will be responsible for
ensuring that the checklist is completed and has obtained the signature of the MassHighway
Environmental Section Deputy Chief Engineer or hisiher designee on the checklist.
lndividual Categorical Exclusions
Actions that do not satisfy the conditions for a programmatic CE may still qualify as a CE, but approval of
the action as an lndividual CE is needed from FHWA. In this case, as early as possible in the design
phase, the MassHighway project manager must coordinate the completion of a Categorical Exclusion
Checklist, with adequate supporting information attached, that clearly establishes that the proposed action
has little or no potential for significant environmental impacts. The signature of the MassHighway
Environmental Section Deputy Chief Engineer or hislher designee on the CE Determination Checklist is
required. The MassHighway project manager must then formally submit this documentation to FHWA for
approval of the action as an lndividual CE determination.
In all cases, the MassHighway project manager is responsible for indicating to the FHWA that the action
qualifies as either an Automatic, Programmatic, or lndividual CE in routine early design submittals. This
documentation will become a permanent part of the project file and will be available for FHWA review
upon request.
Additional information concerning the completion of the CE checklist can be found in the
MassHighway Categorical Exclusion Determination Checklist Detailed Instructions.
Federal Highway Administration
Massachusetts Division