NTM Engineering, formerly Lotus Environmental Consulting, is currently serving as the environmental subconsultant for the Martin Luther King Drive Bridge project in Philadelphia County, PA. The project consists of the rehabilitation of the bridge on Martin Luther King Drive over the Schuylkill River in the City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA.
The proposed work on this bridge project is to conduct the necessary preliminary surveys and to provide preliminary engineering analysis. The purpose of the project is to address the structural deficiencies of the Martin Luther King Drive Bridge in order to provide a safe, efficient, and long-lasting transportation connection across the Schuylkill River into the city. Anticipated work includes superstructure steel repairs, replacement of selected floor beams, bearing rehabilitation, substructure repairs, full depth approach roadway reconstruction, and other miscellaneous construction.
Because the project is expected to receive both State and Federal funding, it was advanced through the PennDOT NEPA process which included Scoping Field View and a Level 2 Categorical Exclusion Evaluation (CEE). The project required agency coordination to obtain clearance associated with Coastal Zone Consistency, Aid to Navigation (ATON) Plan, U.S. Coast Guard Work Authorization, and resolution of Threatened and Endangered (T&E) species conflicts. The project also required Section 6(f) coordination to resolve temporary impacts to protected resources, including Fairmount Park and the Schuylkill River Trail, which both received Land and Water Conservation Fund grants. The project area includes numerous historic and park properties which required impact assessment and proper documentation under Section 4(f) as part of the NEPA documentation.