By Terry Date
tdate@eagletribune.com
June 18, 2009 01:00 am WINDHAM — Transportation officials hammered home the importance of erosion control and proper blasting procedures at a meeting yesterday with the general contractor for the Interstate 93 widening project. "There's going to be a lot of eyes on this project," Pete Stamnas said of the latest Exit 3 work. Stamnas is project manager for the $780 million widening of I-93 for 19.8 miles between Salem and Manchester. State Department of Transportation supervisors and residents are expected to keep a close eye on the project as are federal highway officials since it qualifies for stimulus money. Stamnas was speaking to a roomful of contractors, and state and local officials during a pre-construction meeting at the Windham fire station. The general contractor for this part of the Exit 3 project, called the G portion, is George R. Cairns & Sons of 8 Ledge Road. The G portion has a $26 million price tag and includes construction of two three-mile lanes from Salem to the weigh station in Windham, with completion slated for November 2011. The project would dovetail with the Exit 3 project's ongoing K portion, which includes work on northbound I-93 bridges over Route 111 and Route 111A in Windham, both scheduled for completion by July 2010. DOT contractor administrator Conrad Skov said the agency will abide by the state Department of Environmental Services' alteration of terrain rules, prohibiting blasting or excavation of more than 5 acres at a time without permission to exceed that limit. The limit shrinks to 1 acre between the end of November and beginning of May. He said it would be tough adhering to the restrictions because a 5-acre limit on land disturbance is not the typical way of working a site. He stressed that the contractor can excavate a larger area so long as the company follows the protocol and shows a need for the work. Skov also emphasized the importance of erosion control. The methods include laying rock, and matting and seeding slopes where necessary. In addition, piles of blasted rock must be removed to prevent groundwater contamination in case any nitrates or other residue from blasting adheres to the rocks. Skov said two areas of concern near Exit 3 are Cobbetts Pond, along which many residents live, and Canobie Lake, a water source for Salem. Residents are trying to improve the water quality of Cobbetts. Their efforts were frustrated by rain-driven erosion associated with the Exit 3 construction late last year. The erosion prompted complaints from the Cobbetts Pond Improvement Association and led to general contractor Middlesex Corp. putting additional erosion controls in place. Blasting unrelated to the I-93 project has disturbed residents and fouled their water elsewhere in town, leading to increased vigilance from DOT and local officials. Windham Deputy fire Chief Ed Morgan told the contractors he needs to be informed one hour before any blast and kept up to date on monitoring and blasting results. ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
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