APT provided environmental due diligence, substation site selection, routing alternatives, strategic planning, environmental, siting, permitting, civil engineering and construction support services throughout the duration of this important electric reliability Project in southwestern Connecticut. The Project required traversing Interstate 95, a Town Park and a navigable waterway. APT identified and evaluated multiple alternates for crossing these resources, incorporating the use of local roads (underground), the park itself (both underground and overhead configurations), and an adjacent rail road corridor (overhead). Recognizing the challenges with gaining permit approvals for any of these options (complicated by physical, environmental, regulatory and aesthetic limitations), APT was a vocal proponent for using a combination of underground cable installations within roadways south of the park and transitioning to a pedestrian bridge that could not only carry the circuits over the waterway, but also provide the Town with a purposeful and complimentary amenity for the community. This approach resolved several issues associated with subsurface installations by avoiding: potential reconstruction of an existing dam and bridge; disturbing and handling impacted sediment within park pond; and, permitting with the State and federal agencies.
APT completed environmental field investigations, managed and prepared filings with local agencies and the Connecticut Siting Council, and provided testimony at public hearings.
APT’s Civil Engineering group assisted the Project team on two key components of the transmission line construction process: crossing beneath Interstate 95 via trenchless techniques and developing project stormwater pollution prevention plans to secure a General Permit Registration for the Discharge of Stormwater and Dewatering Wastewaters from Construction Activities from CTDEEP.
APT designed construction entrances, stockpile and dewatering areas, and stormwater controls for sending and receiving pit locations within the interstate right-of-way to cross beneath the highway. The highway crossing location and installation techniques were required to avoid affixing transmission lines to a bridge overpass and the work needed be completed within a confined physical area and under the state agency- imposed limited access schedule.
For the General Permit, APT proposed separating the Project into three distinct and separate phases, and ultimately gained approval for designing and submitting individual “phase” stormwater plans to advance construction schedules for the expansion of an existing substation, installation of double-circuit underground 115-kV XPLE transmission lines and associated splice vaults along 2.3 miles of local roads and within the park, and the development of the new bulk power substation in the downtown area. CTDEEP accepted this approach and approved the individual phased permits. APT also managed and drafted four separate Development and Management Plans for submittal to the Siting Council to facilitate construction phasing of the project.
With decades of experience in the lifecycle of complex environmental and engineering projects, we have the capabilities to implement your vision.
