On Wednesday, December 5th, members of the BLIA board and community attended a public hearing to discuss proposed construction of a new interchange on I-93 in Londonderry between Exits 4 and 5. Complete information and details on the project can be found at: www.i93exit4a.com
The project is designed to relieve traffic congestion from Exit 4 through downtown Derry. Although there will be a great deal of construction, the area of most concern to us is the area east of By-pass 28 to the intersection of Tsienneto and Chester Rd. (Rte. 102). Most of this area is in the watershed of Beaver Lake. There are plans for mitigation of the environmental impact along Tsienneto Rd., but there is no mention of Beaver Lake in the plans. This means the impact to Beaver Lake was not considered when this plan was drawn up.
The BLIA Board of Directors will draft a letter addressing our concerns to the Department of Transportation in the next few days. We ask for your help in a grassroots effort to force the Department of Transportation to consider and respect the impact this project will have on the water quality of Beaver Lake.
The more people who write to the Project Manager, the more attention will be paid to our concerns.
Written statements can be sent to:
Peter E. Stamnas
Director of Project Development
NH Department of Transportation
PO Box 483
Concord, NH 03302-0483
For your convenience here are some talking points to be considered for your letter:
-There is a significant long-term impact on the lake ecology from road salt, sand and runoff from the increased traffic this project will bring to our lake area.
-The lake and the North Shore Road neighborhood will be negatively impacted by the increase in traffic. The plan includes constructing additional traffic lanes on route 102. North Shore Rd. is already stressed and dangerous from the existing traffic and excessive speed.
-The water quality of Beaver Lake is already in a fragile state due to salt and run-off from the existing roads. We have high chloride levels and low clarity levels which will be further affected by the Exit 4A project.
-The plan includes a 40-foot underpass at the intersection Tsienneto and Chester to allow the Tributary E to pass under the new, larger road, but includes no provision for the influx of water West of Tsienneto into the lake at 81-85 Chester Road (Route 102) where there is traditionally flooding at Cat-o-Nine Tails Brook.
-In the last 30 years, the residents of Beaver Lake, the Town of Derry, and the State of NH (along with the federal government), have spent more than $3.3 million dollars to turn Beaver Lake from a Eutrophic lake (dying) to a Mesotrophic (thriving) lake. This money is wasted if we ignore the negative impact that road run off, salt and the increase in impervious surfaces will have on our lake.
-There is no mention of the impact this project will have on our lake, which means the impact could be far greater than we have anticipated.
Please join us in this effort to have Beaver Lake added to the project plan and be included in the list for mitigation. You have until January 5th to provide written comments.
