That’s a multi-agency agreement led by the Federal Highway Administration. A PA is meant to satisfy requirements set by Section 106, also known as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. That’s a federal law that requires officials to analyze a project’s impact on historical properties and make a plan to mitigate it.
Details around the bridge replacement are undecided, with officials still considering whether to replace the current bridge with a lift bridge or a taller fixed bridge. The lift bridge is the pricier option, but the fixed bridge would need to span further, potentially destroying more wetlands and historical properties. The current estimated price for the replacement is $1.1-$1.3 billion.
Before the plan is finalized, it’s impossible to do a traditional impact analysis. Section 106 requirements are usually satisfied through a Memorandum of Agreement, a legally binding set of guidelines based on a prior analysis to make sure historic properties are minimally affected…