EquipmentWorld.com | January 2015
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Categorical exclusions
Categorical exclusions are the easi-
est route to environmental stream-
lining, but only if the project fits.
MAP-21 expanded the definitions of
types of projects that can be consid-
ered CEs.
For example, the emergency
categorical exclusion was used
recently to speed reconstruction on
an I-5 bridge project in Washington
State. On May 23, 2013, a portion
of the I-5 bridge collapsed into the
Skagit River near Mount Vernon
after being struck by an oversize
load. Crews installed two temporary
spans and the bridge was reopened
June 19, less than four weeks later.
Work immediately began on a
permanent span, which was moved
into place Sept 14, 2013, and the
bridge reopened to highway-speed
traffic the next day.
"[The categorical exclusion]
was very helpful there; instead of
waiting months to get in to repair
a bridge, they were able to get
in within weeks," Goldstein says.
"Emergency situations represent a
new class of categorical exclusions
created by MAP-21. It enables the
state to go in and fix an emergency
situation without triggering a more
burdensome environmental impact
statement."
"The streamlining provisions
Delivery of highway construction projects
has been enhanced by environmental
streamlining provisions of MAP-21 and its
predecessor, SAFETEA-LU.
