Long Island Sound Crossing Feasibility Study Final Report December 2017 Version 1.0 Submitted to: Submitted by: Long Island Sound Crossing Feasibility Study CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 PROJECT PURPOSE AND BENEFITS ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 ALIGNMENT CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT ..................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 STUDY FINDINGS ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 2 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 2.1 PROJECT HISTORY .................................................................................................................................................... 6 3 ALIGNMENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 STUDY AREA ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 3.2 PURPOSE AND NEED ............................................................................................................................................. 10 3.3 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................................................................... 10 3.4 ALIGNMENT CONCEPTS CONSIDERED ................................................................................................................... 10 4 REPRESENTATIVE ALIGNMENT CONCEPTS .......................................................................................................... 13 4.1 WESTERN ALIGNMENT .......................................................................................................................................... 13 4.2 CENTRAL ALIGNMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 17 4.3 EASTERN ALIGNMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 22 5 ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 27 5.1 DESIGN STANDARDS ............................................................................................................................................. 27 5.2 ROADWAY/CIVIL DESIGN .................................................................................................................................... 28 5.3 BRIDGE DESIGN .................................................................................................................................................... 29 5.4 TUNNEL DESIGN .................................................................................................................................................... 29 5.5 OPTIMIZED CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EACH ALIGNMENT ............................................................................ 31 5.6 UTILITIES ................................................................................................................................................................ 31 5.7 GEOTECHNICAL..................................................................................................................................................... 32 5.8 PROPERTY IMPACTS ............................................................................................................................................... 32 6 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................................... 40 6.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 40 6.2 WETLANDS ........................................................................................................................................................... 40 6.3 SURFACE WATERBODIES AND WATERCOURSES .................................................................................................... 43 6.4 WILD, SCENIC, AND RECREATIONAL RIVERS .......................................................................................................... 44 6.5 NAVIGABLE WATERS ............................................................................................................................................ 44 6.6 FLOODPLAINS ....................................................................................................................................................... 45 6.7 COASTAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................... 46 6.8 GROUNDWATER RESOURCES, AQUIFERS, AND RESERVOIRS ................................................................................. 47 6.9 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT .............................................................................................................................. 47 6.10 GENERAL ECOLOGY AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES .................................................................................................. 47 6.11 CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS (CEAS) ........................................................................................................... 49 6.12 HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES .................................................................................................................. 50 6.13 PARKS AND RECREATIONAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................... 51 6.14 VISUAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................... 52 6.15 FARMLANDS .......................................................................................................................................................... 52 6.16 AIR QUALITY ......................................................................................................................................................... 53 6.17 ENERGY ................................................................................................................................................................. 53 6.18 CLIMATE CHANGE ................................................................................................................................................. 53 6.19 NOISE ................................................................................................................................................................... 53 6.20 ASBESTOS ............................................................................................................................................................. 54 Final Report December 2017, Version 1.0 i 6.21 HAZARDOUS WASTE AND CONTAMINATED MATERIALS ....................................................................................... 54 6.22 SOCIAL .................................................................................................................................................................. 54 6.23 ECONOMIC ........................................................................................................................................................... 54 6.24 CONSTRUCTION EFFECTS ...................................................................................................................................... 55 6.25 INDIRECT AND SECONDARY EFFECTS ..................................................................................................................... 55 6.26 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ............................................................................................................................................ 55 6.27 SHORT-TERM USES OF MAN’S ENVIRONMENT AND THE MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENT OF LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY ................................................................................................................................................................. 55 6.28 IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENTS OF RESOURCES ......................................................................... 55 6.29 ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAT CANNOT BE AVOIDED OR ADEQUATELY MITIGATED ........................... 55 7 CAPITAL COST ............................................................................................................................................................ 56 7.1 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................... 56 7.2 RESULTS................................................................................................................................................................