History

The I-93 Exit 4A Project has been in the making for decades, with a comprehensive environmental review process and extensive public engagement.

After initial planning and preliminary engineering in the mid-1980s, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) preliminarily approved the project under the condition that an environmental impact statement (EIS) be prepared. The EIS process began in 1998. After dozens of public and advisory committee meetings aimed to identify a range of alternatives to consider, the project paused in 2003 due to additional scope requirements. In 2005, the EIS process resumed. After the Draft EIS was approved by FHWA in 2007, the project team worked to address and respond to comments. Work on the Final EIS took place from 2009 until 2011, when the project was put on hold due to funding issues.

At the direction of the Governor’s office, the project was accelerated and NHDOT took over project management in 2015 and executed an agreement with the towns of Derry and Londonderry. The project was subsequently incorporated in the state’s Ten-Year Transportation Improvement Plan for 2017–2026. The EIS Review Team (EISRT) consisting of representatives from the towns, FHWA, NHDOT, and the consulting team met to consider changes in environmental regulatory requirements, existing conditions, expected future conditions, and the design of the project.

Based on the updated technical studies identified by the EISRT, the towns hired a consultant to prepare the remaining environmental documentation required for FHWA approval, including a Supplemental Draft EIS released in 2018. In 2020, a Final EIS and Record of Decision were released and identified a Preferred Alternative for the project.

Derry-Londonderry 13065 I-93 Exit 4A
EIS Milestones

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