T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluation• Airport Road is an east-west urban roadway with commercial development at the east and west ends. Itconnects Post Road with Warwick Avenue at Hoxsie Four Corners. Preliminary Alternatives evaluated forAirport Road included constructing a tunnel, realigning a portion of the road, or constructing the entireroad in a new location. This evaluation found that placing Airport Road in a tunnel is not reasonable andfeasible due to the elevation of Buckeye Brook and the wetland impact and engineering obstacles.Realigning or relocating the road are reasonable and feasible options, and were evaluated in further steps ofthe alternatives analysis.• Main Avenue is an east-west urban roadway that connects Post Road with Warwick Avenue. Developmentalong Main Avenue is primarily residential. Preliminary Alternatives evaluated for Main Avenue incombination with a 9,350-foot Runway 5-23 included constructing a tunnel, realigning a portion of the road,or relocating the entire road. The evaluation found that placing Main Avenue in a tunnel would be feasiblefrom a constructability perspective, while the realignment or relocation of Main Avenue to accommodate a9,350 feet Runway 5-23 would require constructing a new interchange with Post Road Extension and result insignificant community disruption south of the Airport. At this screening level, placing Main Avenue in a tunnelwas a reasonable and feasible option, and was evaluated in further steps of the alternatives analysis.Refer to DEIS Appendix E, Alternatives Analysis, for detailed description of these refinements.3.4.2 Summary of Level 2 Screening ResultsDetailed screening criteria were used in the Level 2 Screening to determine the reasonableness and feasibility of theoptions that were refined to develop the Preliminary Alternatives. CEQ requires that an EIS describe the project’sapproaches to avoid, minimize, or mitigate environmental and cultural impacts to the extent practicable. At this stagein the analysis, a qualitative assessment of the land use and community, roadway, wetland and water course impactswas conducted, and options were identified that would either avoid or minimize impacts to these resources. Theresults of the Level 2 Screening of the Preliminary Alternatives are provided in Table 3-2.Chapter 3 – Alternatives Analysis 3-12 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH03_Alternatives_JUL_2011.doc