NHDOT hired MJ to lead the environmental review and coordination related to the realignment of a 1.3-mile segment of NH Route 16, to relocate the roadway away from the Androscoggin River. The project will address the poor condition of the pavement and road base and provide a sustainable roadway that maintains the connectivity of the corridor, minimizes long-term maintenance and risk resulting from the proximity of the Androscoggin River, and preserves the scenic quality of the surrounding area.

NHDOT selected MJ for this assignment based on our track record for effectively managing projects with unique or complicated environmental concerns. NH Route 16 is located adjacent to the 13 Mile Woods Community Forest, a 5,000-acre property protected by state and federal conservation easements. The project has required extensive agency and stakeholder coordination to avoid and minimize impacts to this conservation land, as well as wetlands and vernal pools, 100-year floodplain and regulatory floodway, water quality, rare plants, federally listed species, wildlife connectivity, and aquatic organism passage.

The proposed roadway realignment requires the acquisition of 12 acres of conservation land, more than 5 acres of wetland, vernal pool, and surface water impacts, and 3,000 cubic yards of fill in the 100-year floodplain. NHDOT entrusted MJ to lead the interagency coordination, achieving widespread support from stakeholders and regulatory agencies for the preferred alternative. This laid the groundwork for a successful permitting phase, which involved a Section 404 Individual Permit and Section 401 Water Quality Certification. MJ is also coordinating the mitigation package for the project, consisting of the preservation of 2,700 acres of important habitat in the Androscoggin watershed, installation of a terrestrial wildlife crossing, and the creation of a flood storage area along the corridor.