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The Road to Better Transportation Projects Rhode Island, Route 403: Giving Voice to Local Residents and Future Users This completed section of relocated Route 403 shows the need to include wildlife crossings for animals that cannot cross over the concrete barrier. Route 403 originally was a two-lane roadway cutting through the largely residential area of North Kingstown, Rhode Island. It is the main access to a nearby industrial park. According to Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), the idea behind relocating Route 403, the Quonset Freeway, was to alleviate severe congestion by taking traffic off an otherwise local road. "The end result was the need for a freeway connection," said Peter Healey, Principal Civil Engineer for RIDOT. This connection meant building a brand new, four-lane highway — an idea that concerned some groups. "We didn't see why we had to go to a whole new highway," said Sierra Club activist Barry Schiller, representing the interests of environmental organizations. To a certain extent, RIDOT agreed. "There is a big benefit if you don't build a new road," Healey said, "Building is not always the best choice." Due to provisions in NEPA, RIDOT had to consider this viewpoint (as well as many others) when choosing the best option. "NEPA played a vital role in balancing these views," Healey said. The idea behind NEPA is to "make a concept available to the public. It allows you to seek impact and balance a project...You can't make all parties happy, but you can certainly balance their interests," Healey added. "We did look at widening the existing road in identifying alternatives...as well as [about] eight different alternatives for the location of the new route," Healey said, explaining how NEPA was used. Healey and his team made extensive efforts to involve the public early in the design process. In addition to approaches mandated by NEPA, they held several briefings for the town council. "The public wants to help you make a project better," said Healey. "The people that live [in the affected area] know more than I do." He explained that a key benefit of public involvement was giving a voice to those who will be regular users of a project. Although the decision to build a new, four-lane highway conflicted with environmental interests, NEPA provided for modifications to its design. "In order to reduce the roadway's width, we decided to narrow it as much as possible. To do that, we had to put in a concrete barrier," Healey explained. In one of the town council meetings, the suggestion was brought up to include a culvert for small-animal crossings. "I probably wouldn't have thought of that on my own," he said. This modification lessened damage to wetlands. "The acreage reduction comes out of NEPA," Healey said. "It clearly minimizes the impacts." Though not completely satisfied with the overall outcome, Schiller agreed that NEPA was an essential element in making some of the positive changes in the project. According to his records, the EIS indicated a loss of 50 acres of open space including five acres of wetlands. The final design reduced the impact to 2.42 acres of wetland loss. "We we re protecting the loss of wetlands; [RIDOT] reduced the amount that was lost," Schiller said. "NEPA has worked in Rhode Island to improve designs of highways," he added. Healey explained the public demand for protection of local natural resources, "As an industry, I've noticed there has to be a big concentration on ecological issues, because that's what the public wants...If NEPA isn't a requirement, someone may decide not to do it." Photo courtesy Peter Healey/RIDOT; used with permission. Up to Top | Printer-friendly version of this page