WASHINGTON, DC—In response to a request from the developer of the $1.5-billion Capitol Crossing project, the Federal Highway Administration says that a study is necessary before it would even consider shutting down about a mile of I-395 to expedite construction.
“Closing I-395, a facility that carries 90,000 vehicles per day, was not considered during the environmental review process (of the Capitol Crossing project),” states Joseph C. Lawson, a division administrator with FHWA in a letter to District Department of Transportation Director Matthew Brown. “In order to consider closing the facility, DDOT would be required to perform an appropriate environmental review to determine the impacts to the human and natural environment.”
New York-based Property Group Partners says a closure of the section of I-395 for a period of 15 to 18 months could halve the construction time of a $200-million deck over the freeway's entrance that would support the 2.2 million-square-foot Capitol Crossing project, according to the Washington Post.
The FHWA said such an environmental review of the impact of the closure could take about 12 months to complete. See story in the Washington Post.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.