Notice of Permit Application

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

NEWS RELEASE

2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546

NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7456

FOR RELEASE: August 6, 2010

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062

FAX: (860) 594-3065

WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

Notice of Permit Application

Notice is hereby given that the Connecticut Department of Transportation has submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection an application under Connecticut General Statutes Sections 22a-39, 22a-342, and Section 401 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (U.S.C. 1341), for a permit to conduct an activity in a wetland or watercourse and place an obstruction or encroachment riverward of stream channel encroachment lines (SCELs) for Bass Brook and Piper Brook.

Specifically, the applicant proposes to construct the New Britain – Hartford Busway, State Project No. 171-305, consisting of a dedicated Bus Rapid Transit facility along a 9.4-mile long corridor between downtown New Britain and downtown Hartford. The project is located within the towns of New Britain, Newington, West Hartford and Hartford. From downtown New Britain to approximately Newington Junction in Newington, the Busway will be located within the abandoned Conrail right-of-way. From Newington Junction north, the Busway will be located within the active Amtrak railroad right-of-way. In the abandoned rail section, a multi-use trail for bicycle and pedestrian use will be constructed parallel to the Busway. Eleven (11) stations will be constructed to serve Busway passengers. In addition, a new Amtrak Access Road will be constructed along the east side of Amtrak’s active rail line (Newington to Hartford).

The total Busway project will result in approximately 2.11 acres of permanent impacts to federal/state wetlands and 7,108 linear feet (lf) of permanent impacts to intermittent watercourses. There are an additional 0.46 acres of temporary impacts to federal/state wetlands. The total Busway project will result in a net fill within 100-year floodplains of 2,060 cubic yards and approximately 4,086 cubic yards within the SCELs of Bass Brook and Piper Brook.

The application is available for inspection at the Connecticut Department of Transportation, 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06131-7546. Interested parties should contact Mr. Mark W. Alexander, Transportation Assistant Planning Director, at telephone number (860) 594-2931 to schedule an appointment.

The application is also available for inspection at the Department of Environmental Protection, Inland Water Resources Division, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-5127, telephone number (860) 424-3019, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.