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Consultants present two road‑raising options to protect Foddering Farm Road causeway
Summary
Fuss & O'Neil presented two elevation alternatives (7 ft and 8 ft) for the Foddering Farm Road causeway, describing minimal footprint designs, benefit‑cost analysis showing cost‑effectiveness for FEMA funding, and next steps that include a culvert feasibility study and applying for construction funding.
Fuss & O'Neil consultants presented the findings of a FEMA‑funded concept study on July 20 on options to raise the Foddering Farm Road causeway, the only access to Harbor Island. The firm outlined two alternatives — elevating the roadway to 7 feet or to 8 feet — and said both appeared cost‑effective in a preliminary benefit‑cost analysis and would reduce frequent flooding risks for residents and emergency access.
“The causeway here is the only access route to and from Harbor Island to get residents on and off, and it's the only access route for emergency vehicles,” a consultant said, explaining why the project’s focus is resilience and emergency access. The presenters described field surveys tied to NAVD88, geotechnical borings, a wetland delineation, and constrained‑width designs intended to limit impacts to adjacent regulated marsh habitat. The 7‑foot and 8‑foot alternatives differ primarily in the amount of fill required; the consultants said the two cost estimates are close, “only about a $100” apart in their conceptual estimate, with the additional cost coming from extra fill and pavement for the 8‑foot option.
Council members and residents asked about alternatives and schedule. When a council member asked whether a bridge was considered, the consultant said a bridge was not included in this initial concept phase because of the substantially greater scale and cost, and that a culvert study is among the recommended next steps to address water‑flow and quality. The firm and town staff said a final report is under planning review and will be made available to council and residents; if the council selects a preferred elevation, the next steps would be design, permitting and applying for construction funding (FEMA BRIC, DOT Protect, National Coastal Resilience Fund and state sources were discussed).
The presentation emphasized a low‑impact, phased approach that would allow future increases in elevation if sea‑level rise or storm severity requires it. The consultants estimated that, once permitted and funded, construction of the defined project area could take about three to six months.
The council did not vote on a preferred elevation at the meeting; staff said they will return when funding, culvert feasibility and design scope are better defined.
