Project Excellence in Power Site Remediation and Restoration Project

CHA recently managed the remediation of a site that represented an eyesore to a close-knit community and a continued threat to the environment, including a historic canal. This important project considered environmental impacts, community outreach, removal of contaminants, mitigating record rainfall during construction, and enduring respect for the historic canal, which needed to maintain operational locks at all times.

Contamination of the site included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and required a highly coordinated effort between CHA, the contractor and the canal operating agency. The project also included an innovative hydraulic study to determine if nearby locks could safely operate and prevent flooding.

Strong community outreach by CHA eased community concerns and educated the public to the project safety measures. CHA also provided community air monitoring to identify potential airborne exposures to contaminants and worked to mitigate dust, vapors, and odors from excavations using innovative foam sprays and conventional water application. The project included the removal of more than 16,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and soils, which needed to be dewatered and stabilized before off-site transportation.

NEWS: CHA Earns ACEC CT Engineering Excellence Award for Transformed Hartford Highway

CHA has received a 2023 ACEC Connecticut Engineering Excellence Award for relocating the I-91 Northbound Interchange 29 and widening of I-91 Northbound and Route 5/15 Northbound to I-84 Eastbound. The reconfigured interchange reduces crash rates and resolves long-term congestion in the Hartford area.

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