The city of Boston Public Works Department has applied for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct work in waters of the U.S. in conjunction with the installation of utility crossings in Boston Harbor in Boston, Mass.
The city plans to conduct work within and to discharge dredged and/or fill material into up to 9.23 acres of waters of the U.S. in Boston Harbor (Quincy Bay), as part of the installation of utility crossings (a 16-inch HDPE water main, an electrical submarine cable, and a telecom submarine cable) from Moon Island to Long Island.
These utilities previously hung off the pre-existing Long Island Bridge, but they needed to be relocated when the bridge was scheduled for demolition. The city plans to trench in these utilities or to install them using a horizontal directional dredge technique.
Approximately 29,330 cubic yards of sediment will be excavated by barge-mounted excavators as part of the trenching operations. This project will be phased so that only small segments of the crossing will be open at any time.
Sediments will be temporarily stockpiled within in-water areas adjacent to the trench. The city proposes to install turbidity curtains around the construction area, in order to minimize turbidity impacts to adjacent areas. Unsuitable sediments will be disposed of at an approved upland disposal area.
The city has prepared a restoration plan, detailing how open water areas within the construction area will be restored, so that these impacts are only temporary.