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11.
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Environmental Assessment
PUBLIC AND AGENCY COORDINATION
The main elements of the public and agency coordination plan for the project are:
• Formation of the Project Task Force
• Public information sessions
• Project website with all meeting materials posted
• Agency coordination
• Exhibits, photos, and scale model of the interchange
• Stakeholder outreach
• Public Hearing during public comment period on EA/ENF
• The 25% design hearing
11.1 Project Task Force
MassDOT formed a Task Force to help develop alternatives for the project that would
meet city, community, state and federal needs. The Task Force has representation from
the local business community, neighborhood groups, consultants, local, regional, state,
and federal government agencies, as well as individuals and other interested parties. The
Task Force has helped develop, screen, and refine the range of interchange alternatives
and met nine times in Fall River from January 2010 through January 2011. A tenth
meeting was held on November 16, 2011 to update the Task Force prior to distribution of
the EA/ENF. All Task Force meetings have been open to the public. A substantial level
of interest was generated for the project and attendance at the Task Force meetings
averaged 40, including Task Force members and the general public. Meeting summaries
and handouts have been posted on the MassDOT project website:
www.mass.gov/massdot/route79project.
The Task Force membership consists of:
Federal Elected Officials
State Elected Officials
MassDOT District 5
MassDOT Environmental
MassDOT Planning
MassDOT South Coast Rail Project staff
DCR staff from Fall River Heritage State Park
Mass Coastal Railroad
Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District
Fall River Environmental Officer
Fall River Office of Economic Development
Fall River Community Development
Fall River Mass in Motion
Fall River Planning Department
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Battleship Cove Maritime Museum
Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Fall River Energy Enterprise (FREE)
Town of Somerset officials
Green Futures
Lower Highlands Neighborhood Association
Marine Museum
Save Our Neighborhoods
Southeastern Mass. Building Trades Council
State Pier Board of Directors
Local businesses, property owners, and residents
Working with MassDOT, the Task Force developed goals for the project that would be
used to screen and refine the interchange improvement alternatives. The goals included:
• safety
• access
• life-cycle maintenance costs
• traffic operations
• environmental issues.
In addition to addressing the structural deficiencies and reducing life-cycle costs for the
interchange, other local, regional, state, and federal goals were considered during
development of the conceptual alternatives. These goals included:
• Reduce the extent of elevated structure;
• Maintain acceptable vehicle level of service on the freeway, arterials, and local
streets;
• Minimize business relocations, property takings, impacts to historic resources and
parkland;
• Minimize negative local business and commercial impacts (during and postconstruction);
• Improve multi-modal (pedestrian, bicycle, transit, vehicle, etc.) access to
waterfront;
• Improve visual appearance of the waterfront;
• Improve vehicular connectivity;
• Enhance access to the CBD;
• Be compatible with project-area economic development initiatives and concepts.
11.2 Scale Model
Due to the complexity of the project and in order to help reviewers visualize the
alternatives, MassDOT commissioned a study model at a scale of 1” = 60’ that would
illustrate in three dimensions the study area and the four interchange alternatives. The
model was first used at the Task Force meetings and was on display at the public meeting
on April 13, 2011 and the Task Force meeting on November 16, 2011 in Fall River. Two
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photos of the existing conditions model are provided below. Additional photos of the
model are included in other sections of the document.
The study model will be on display for the public meeting for the EA/ENF.
Photo 11-1 Model View of Existing Route 79 Viaduct, looking south.
Photo by Gregory F. X. Shaw.
Photo 11-2 Model View of Existing Route 79 Viaduct at Central Street, looking east
Photo by Gregory F. X. Shaw.
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11.3 Coordination with First Responders
Due to the highly complex construction sequencing and the numerous anticipated
roadway and ramp closures, MassDOT reached out to neighboring emergency response
units in Freetown, Somerset, and Swansea. During these meetings, MassDOT met with
the fire chiefs and ambulatory personnel to discuss each stage of sequencing, identifying
the road closures and detour routes to the Fall River area hospitals.
The meetings allowed MassDOT to understand the hospital preferences and emergency
response routes used by each town. In Freetown, Somerset, and Swansea, critical care
patients are customarily taken to area hospitals in Providence, Rhode Island. Transport to
St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River is typically at the request of the patient.
During the course of construction, all three towns expressed similar concerns related to
coordination and communication. Each town believes a strong coordination between
MassDOT, the contractor, and town emergency personnel is essential. MassDOT has
agreed to maintain close coordination prior to any construction sequencing changes
related to traffic management. MassDOT and the contractor will sit down with each town
to review the road closures and detours, allowing for the towns to provide feedback and
the contractor to implement any necessary accommodations for emergency response.
At the suggestion of the town of Swansea, MassDOT will reach out to Rehoboth,
Massachusetts and Barrington, Warren and Bristol, Rhode Island to include them in any
construction sequencing meeting. Additionally MassDOT will reach out to the private
ambulance companies in the area, including EasCare Ambulance, Alert EMS, AMR, and
Southcoast EMS.
11.4 Public Information and Community-Wide Meetings
11.4.1 Overview
State and federal requirements and guidance for involving the public in the development
of transportation infrastructure projects call for providing early and continuing
opportunities for the public to be involved in the identification of social, economic, and
environmental impacts. The Route 79/I-195 Interchange Reconstruction Project has
provided numerous and varied opportunities for the public to participate and give input
on the project alternatives and suggest modifications to alternatives. The Task Force, with
local and regional representation, was a key sounding board during the alternatives study
before the federal process began and provided key links to the larger community, helping
educate others about the project. Attendance at Task Force meetings grew over time. On
average, about 25 percent of the attendees were interested parties and stakeholders who
were not Task Force members.
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Widely noticed meetings for the public provided a chance for people to gather and hear
about the project and provide immediate feedback. Two evening public information
meetings (in addition to the Task Force Meetings) have been held so far and are
discussed below. Meetings that were videotaped (for example the Task Force Meeting on
November 16, 2011) or broadcast live on local access stations provided people who were
not able to go to the meeting with information about the project.
11.4.2 Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act
All meetings are held at facilities accessible to all in compliance with the ADA / Title II.
All notices of meetings include contact information to request language or access
accommodations.
MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of
charge upon request, including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign Language
and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening
devices and alternate material formats, such as audio tapes, Braille and large print. For
accommodation or language assistance, people are given the contact information for
MassDOT’s Director of Civil Rights.
11.4.3 Compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Environmental Justice
Orders
The Route 79/I-195 Interchange Project area is classified as an “Environmental Justice”
community based on percentage of foreign-born residents, income, membership in a
minority group, and proficiency in English.
During the formation of the Project Task Force, efforts were made to recruit members
who represented the underserved and disadvantaged populations who would potentially
be impacted by the project.
Additional outreach was done to obtain neighborhood business and resident
representation on the Task Force by contacting local churches, business owners, and
contacts at Heritage Heights owned by the Fall River Housing Authority. Two residents
of Heritage Heights agreed to join the Task Force. Although most Task Force
communication is done via e-mail, those who do not use e-mail received all Task Force
materials in the USPS mail. In addition, periodic follow-up phone calls were made to
members to make sure they got the materials and to find out if they were coming to the
meetings. A MassDOT Environmental Division representative worked individually with
those members who were not familiar with the transportation infrastructure planning
process.
Meeting notices for the public information meeting were prepared in Spanish and
Portuguese as well as English and disseminated via the Portuguese Times and El Latino
Expreso newspapers in the Fall River area. Multi-cultural organizations, businesses, and
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institutions were notified via e-mail of the meeting. The Spanish and Portuguese meeting
notices were posted on the project website, at the local library, and at City Hall.
For the permitting phase of the project, meeting notices for the public hearings and other
notifications will be prepared in Spanish and Portuguese as well as English and
disseminated via the Portuguese Times and El Latino Expreso newspapers and also
published in the Herald News. Abutter notification mailings required for permits will be
printed in Spanish and Portuguese, as well as English.
As the project design advances, outreach will be implemented at the beginning of the
project and continue throughout construction with businesses and neighborhoods that will
be impacted by the construction activities and detours. During the construction phase for
the project, outreach to project area EJ communities will be conducted through
coordination with city officials such as the Housing Authority.
11.4.4 Project Information
A website provides a central point for information, documents, and contact information
about the project and upcoming events. Upcoming Task Force and community-wide
meetings are posted on the project website and the MassDOT Transportation Calendar on
the MassDOT web page. All meeting agendas, handouts, and presentations are posted for
downloading at www.mass.gov/massdot/route79project.
Local media have been kept abreast of the progress of the project. The Fall River Herald
News has featured the project on several occasions and provided detailed information
about the project in print and on its website with video. The January 18, 2011 front page
story continued to page A5 for a full page of photos, analysis, and project timeline. The
paper’s website included a video featuring a Task Force member touring the study area.
The Herald News also provided detailed coverage of the January 26, 2011 Task Force
meeting and included several photographs of the 60-scale model.
11.4.5 Community-Wide Project Meetings
Two Public Information meetings were held in Fall River to reach out to a broad public to
solicit public input on the project and the development of the alternatives. Public
Information meetings were held at Fall River City Hall on June 16, 2010, and at the
Heritage Park Visitor Center on April 13, 2011. Meetings were well attended and
attendees expressed substantial support for the project. Presentation materials for these
meetings can be found at the MassDOT Accelerated Bridge Program project website
referenced above. Notices of these meetings were widely disseminated and included legal
notices in the Herald News, Boston Globe, Taunton Gazette, and New Bedford StandardTimes newspapers. MassDOT sent meeting notifications to the 113-name contact list
including appropriate area media outlets, elected officials in Fall River and in
surrounding cities and towns, institutions including hospitals and colleges/universities,
utility companies, and neighborhood associations. The legal notice was translated into
Spanish and Portuguese and printed in the Portuguese Times and El Latino Expreso. The
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Herald News ran the media release on April 10, 2011. Message boards announcing the
meeting were placed at selected locations on roadways to advertise the meetings to
regional commuters.
The Task Force network was also instrumental in getting the word out about the meetings
and the project. Task Force members representing business and civic groups forwarded
the meeting notice to their members and media contacts.
Since many comments received during the public participation process addressed similar
issues, the individual comments have been summarized under comment topics and
responses are provided in Section 11.5.
11.5 Public and Agency Coordination
The Task Force included numerous city officials and members of the Massachusetts
House of Representatives and Senate, many of whom attended Task Force meetings
regularly. MassDOT and the project team coordinated frequently with SRPEDD and
CTPS, particularly at the start of the study when the travel demand forecasts were in
progress.
Ongoing coordination has been carried out with various City of Fall River department
staff to obtain information. This coordination is ongoing as the design develops. Specific
coordination and outreach with public safety officials of Fall River and the surrounding
towns of Somerset, Swansea, Freetown and Westport will be carried out relative to routes
for first responders during the construction phase of the project.
Other coordination meetings and briefings include:
• Meeting with elected officials and agency stakeholders to discuss kickoff of Alternatives
Study on December 4, 2009, at MassDOT District 5 offices
• Meeting with Mayor-elect Flanagan’s Economic Development Transition Team to
preview the upcoming Interchange Alternatives Study, December 29, 2009
• Briefing for the Fall River legislative delegation at the State House on June 15, 2010
• Meeting with staff from Mass Coastal Railroad on July 14, 2010
• Briefing for Fall River municipal officials in September 2010
• Members of the Accelerated Bridge Program Council were given a tour of the project
area on September 9 and 22, 2010
• Meeting with South Coast Rail project team on November 18, 2010
• Meeting with DCR staff at Fall River Heritage State Park on December 13, 2010
• Meeting with Fall River public utilities personnel regarding on-going utility work being
carried out by the city on December 22, 2010
• All-day workshop with staff of FHWA Massachusetts Division and FHWA Resource
Center to discuss design criteria, traffic operations, and environmental issues on January
20, 2011
• Work session with FHWA traffic group on January 27, 2011
• Briefing for Fall River municipal officials and SRPEDD staff on April 12, 2011
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• Public Hearing by Conservation Commission on Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area
Delineation, April 12, 2011
• Public Information Meeting held at the Heritage Park Visitors Center on April 13, 2011
• Briefing for planners from The Cecil Group, consultants for SRPEDD and for the City of
Fall River’s Battleship Cove Station Priority Development Area planning study, on May
3, 2011
• Work session with FHWA Resource Center (Traffic Support) on June 10, 2011
• Meeting with City of Fall River officials on construction staging plans, September 29,
2011
• Meeting with Lower Highlands/Historic Downtown Neighborhood Association, October
5, 2011
• Meeting with City of Fall River officials to discuss intersection signals, January 6, 2012
• Meetings with first responders in area towns, April 2012
• Meeting with DEP Waterways Regulation Program to discuss the Chapter 91 License
application, May 22, 2012
11.6 Response to Comments
Comments on the project were received during the public participation process which
occurred prior to the submission of the Environmental Assessment/Environmental
Notification Form (EA/ENF). As discussed earlier in Section 11, the public participation
process consisted of a Project Task Force, Public Information Meetings, and several
agency/city coordination meetings. Many of the comments received during the Project
Task Force Meetings related to the evaluation of alternatives and these are discussed in
the meeting summaries for the Task Force. The meeting summaries are provided on the
MassDOT project website: http://www.mass.gov/massdot/route79project and are
available upon request.
Since many comments received during the public participation process addressed similar
issues, the individual comments have been summarized under the following comment
topics.
1. ACCESS TO MILLIKEN BOULEVARD FROM I-195
Summary Comment: Several comments were received regarding maintaining the
existing access to Milliken Boulevard from I-195 eastbound. Currently, drivers can
access Milliken Boulevard from I-195 eastbound via Ramp Y, which is off Ramp A. This
is possible because with the existing elevated Route 79 viaduct structure, Ramp A and
Ramp Y are above three other ramps.
Response: The reader is referred to Section 6.4.4, where an evaluation of intersection
signal options is discussed. Improvements to Connector Street will facilitate access to
downtown from I-195 eastbound.
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2. IMPACTS TO BUSINESSES DURING CONSTRUCTION
Summary Comment: Several comments concerned the impacts to businesses and other
area attractions during the construction period.
Response: The project will use staged construction in order to maintain traffic through
the interchange. Access to local businesses and waterfront attractions will be maintained
throughout construction. Alternative routes to the regional roadway system will be
identified to minimize regional traffic through the interchange. The construction
sequence of various elements of the project, as well as some temporary and early ramp
connections, will allow traffic to be shifted so that the viaduct can be removed in stages.
Coordination will be carried out with Fall River, adjacent towns, emergency responders,
and local businesses during design of the traffic management plan. A public information
program will be implemented to inform drivers of the construction phase traffic plan. The
final traffic management plan will be the responsibility of the Design Build contractor,
with MassDOT oversight.
3. PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES NORTH OF I-195
Summary Comment: Several requests were received regarding providing pedestrian
bridges from Walnut Street and Pine Street over Route 79/Davol Street to Heritage Park.
Response: The purpose of the Accelerated Bridge Program (ABP) is to reduce the
number of structurally deficient bridges. The state legislature allocated funds specifically
towards this end. It is not within the directive of ABP to construct additional structures
such as pedestrian bridges where none currently exist.
In general, pedestrian bridges have several issues, including maintenance, security, and
engineering feasibility. A pedestrian bridge would need to be maintained and cleared of
snow and ice in the winter so that the facility could be used year-round. When ramps are
required to reach ground level, they can be attractive nuisances relative to skateboarders,
especially if there is no nearby skateboard park. When space is limited and ramp
structures are necessary, they can be perceived as isolated and unsafe. Security and
unauthorized use of ramps may need to be monitored.
The design, location, and especially, the presence of ramps or stairs can impact whether
or not a pedestrian bridge is used compared with other at-grade options of a comparable
walking distance available to a pedestrian. If a pedestrian bridge requires extensive ramps
to meet ADA guidelines, it often is not used by pedestrians. Pedestrians may see the
ramps or stairs as inconvenient and time consuming to use, or perceive the isolated areas
within the ramp structures as unsafe.
Although MassDOT has constructed pedestrian bridges, it is not the current policy of
MassDOT to own or maintain these bridges. Maintenance of pedestrian bridges within
the project area would need to be the responsibility of either the City of Fall River or
DCR Heritage Park. This could be a substantial cost due to labor and equipment.
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The engineering feasibility of constructing pedestrian bridges within the project area has
been evaluated as discussed below.
•
Pine Street Pedestrian Bridge Concept
A concept for a pedestrian bridge with an eastern terminus at Pine Street and a western
terminus at Heritage State Park was evaluated. The concept alignment of the bridge and
location of the ramp structure was selected to minimize impacts to the Heritage Park
employee parking area and the Visitors Center. The ramp structure was located near the
driveway and away from the Visitors Center and the Quequechan River as much as
possible, but would still have a visual impact.
The bridge structure would be approximately 360 feet long and consist of 5 spans and a
ramp structure on the westerly end. Although the topography at the Pine Street terminus
would allow for a structure that would meet the grade of the road without ramps, a 36­
foot-high ramp structure with several levels would be required at the terminus in Heritage
Park to meet ADA guidelines and minimize the amount of land taken up by the ramps.
This structure would be equivalent to a 4-story building. The ramps within the structure
would add an additional 940 feet of length.
The proposed Route 79/Davol Street roadway cross section requires the use of the entire
width of the existing roadway layout. There would be no extra land available; thus the
terminus of the pedestrian bridge would have to be within the Heritage Park property,
impacting about 3,800 SF of parkland within Heritage Park. Impacts to parkland would
constitute a use of Section 4(f) parkland beyond the Programmatic Park 4(f) guidelines
which would require an Individual Section 4(f) Evaluation. The 4(f) Evaluation would
need to demonstrate that there is no alternative that provides similar access and avoids the
impact. As discussed below, improved pedestrian accommodations are provided in the
project that avoid impacts to Heritage Park.
•
Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge Concept
A concept for a pedestrian bridge with an eastern terminus at Walnut Street and a western
terminus at Heritage State Park was evaluated. The concept alignment of the bridge and
location of the ramp structure was selected to avoid impacts to the community boating
facility. The ramp structure would impact the parking area, however, and would be
located adjacent to the boardwalk, which would be a substantial visual impact.
The bridge structure would be approximately 340 feet long and consist of 4 spans and a
ramp structure on the westerly end. Although the topography at Walnut Street would
allow for a structure that meets the grade of the road without ramps, a 34-foot-high ramp
structure with several levels would be required at the terminus in Heritage Park, near the
community boating facility, to meet ADA guidelines and minimize the amount of land
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taken up by the ramps. This structure would be equivalent to a 4-story building. The
ramps within the structure would add an additional 840 feet of length.
The proposed Route 79/Davol Street roadway cross section requires the entire width of
the existing roadway layout. Thus, similar to the Pine Street Bridge concept above, there
is no extra land available and the terminus of the pedestrian bridge would have to be
within the Heritage Park property, impacting about 3,200 SF of parkland within Heritage
Park. Impacts to parkland would constitute a use of Section 4(f) parkland within the
Programmatic Park 4(f) guidelines, which would require meeting the specific
requirements in the programmatic evaluation. It would need to be demonstrated that there
is no alternative that provides similar access and avoids the impact. As discussed below,
improved pedestrian accommodations are provided in the project.
I-195 Pedestrian Bridge to India Point Park
The pedestrian bridge over I-195 in Providence, Rhode Island, has been cited as a
relevant example by those who support construction of a similar pedestrian bridge in Fall
River. The Google Earth image below shows that, in contrast to the Fall River site, an
extensive amount of land was available to construct a ramp system to provide an open
feeling at the touchdown for the India Point Park terminus. Additionally, the pedestrian
bridge crosses over an interstate highway where stopping traffic is not an option and an
at-grade roadway intersection with pedestrian signal phases like Central Street is not
available.
Pedestrian Bridge to India Point Park, Providence, Rhode island
Proposed Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements
Accommodations will be improved for pedestrians and cyclists with the At-Grade
Interchange (Preferred) alternative as shown on Figure 3-5 in Section 3.5. New sidewalks
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will meet or exceed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Existing
sidewalks that are reconstructed will be in compliance with ADA, except for some
sidewalks that may require waivers because of the existing steep topography.
The project provides a new shared use path (bicycle and pedestrian) between Milliken
Boulevard and Route 79. Along the new Water Street Connector there will be a sidewalk
on the south side, with 5 foot bike lanes on both sides. Existing sidewalks along all
project area roadways will be improved. An evaluation of sidewalks, a bike lane and
other enhancements will be evaluated for Harbor Terrace as the design advances. All
traffic signals will have pedestrian crosswalks and pedestrian signal indications.
Signalized intersections with pedestrian phases and crosswalks will improve access to the
existing waterfront boardwalk in Heritage Park.
4. COMPATIBILITY WITH ROUTE 79/DAVOL STREET TRANSPORTATION
STUDY AND CITY MASTER PLAN
Summary Comment: Several comments were received regarding the relationship and
consistency between the Route 79/I-195 Interchange Reconstruction Project and plans to
study the feasibility of lowering the section of Route 79 that is currently on an
embankment north of the interchange (also referred to as turning Route 79 into an urban
boulevard).
Response: The Interchange Reconstruction Project is compatible with the different and
independent proposal to turn Route 79 north of the interchange project limits into an
urban boulevard by lowering the embankment. A figure in Section 1.7 of this EA
illustrates the limits of the interchange project relative to the Route 79/Davol Street study.
A consultant team has been selected, and work on the study will be underway this year,
2012.
5. COMPATIBILITY WITH PROPOSED SOUTH COAST RAIL COMMUTER
RAIL PROJECT
Summary Comment: Comments were received asking if the Interchange Reconstruction
Project would be compatible with the proposed South Coast Rail Project and the
proposed Battleship Cove train station adjacent to the Water Street Connector.
Response: A coordination meeting was held with the South Coast Rail (SCR) project
team to discuss how the interchange improvements would interface with the SCR project.
The replacement of the Anawan Street Bridge over the railroad will have a positive
impact by increasing the clearance over the track to accommodate the future South Coast
Rail Project (SCR). The design of the Water Street Connector will be compatible with the
proposed SCR Battleship Cove Station in this location. Coordination with the South
Coast Rail team will continue as the design progresses.
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6. TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS
Summary Comment: A comment was received relative to the project resulting in traffic
diverting to Somerset or other regional roadways in the Build condition (as opposed to
during construction).
Response: The impact of the At-Grade (Preferred) alternative on future regional traffic
will be minimal. Substantial regional diversions of traffic are not anticipated in the future
after completion of the project. This is discussed in detail in Section 6.4.3 and illustrated
on Figure 6-2.
7. LOCAL STREET CIRCULATION
Summary Comment: Comments were received regarding local street circulation
resulting from the project. Concerns were expressed regarding the initial proposal to
close off Harbor Terrace at Central Street. And, it was suggested that Durfee Street and
North Main Street (both currently one-way streets) be made two-way streets.
Response: Harbor Terrace will be made one way northbound away from Central Street.
This will prevent potential future weaving issues on Central Street at the Route 79
intersection, and maintain the street for local circulation. Durfee Street and North Main
Street may be temporarily made two-way streets during the construction phase. It would
be up to the city to decide if this change should be permanent.
8. RESTORATION OF THE QUEQUECHAN RIVER FALLS
Summary Comment: Several comments related to the city’s Master Plan and one of the
Fall River Energy Enterprise (FREE) initiatives, which include a goal to restore the
Quequechan River falls by daylighting the Quequechan River in the vicinity of the Route
79/I-195 Interchange.
Response: The concept to restore the historic falls of Quequechan River in the area of the
interchange and historic mill buildings would involve putting Pocasset Street into a
tunnel, removal of all connecting ramps from I-195, and acquiring considerable amounts
of private property.
The feasibility of removing all the interchange connecting ramps to re-establish some of
the water falls of the Quequechan River was discussed and evaluated during the
alternatives analysis process for the Interchange Reconstruction Project. Although some
of the ramps have been eliminated with the proposed Interchange Reconstruction Project,
it is not feasible, or desirable, to remove all the ramps connecting I-195 to Route 79.
9. IMPACTS TO FREIGHT RAILROAD OPERATIONS
Summary Comment: Comments were received relative to the impact of the project on
freight railroad operations.
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Response: The proposed project would not have any adverse impacts to the Mass Coastal
freight railroad operations. Coordination has been, and will continue to be, carried out
with Mass Coastal regarding the construction phase of the project. The replacement of the
Anawan Street Bridge over the railroad will have a positive impact on rail operations by
increasing the clearance over the track.
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