Defying the odds, ConnDOT today submitted a revamped application to the Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to build an expressway east of Hartford to replace the two-lane Route 6. Undoubtedly spurred by an August letter sent to the agency by officials from the towns of Bolton, Columbia, Manchester and Windham (see last week’s MTR), the renewed effort may again pitch DOT against citizen and environmental groups over an unpopular highway expansion initiative.

Corps officials report that they have not yet reviewed the new proposal and declined to comment on it. All signs suggest that what is in hand varies little from previous ConnDOT applications, all rejected by the Corps for their extreme impacts on wetlands and wildlife. In particular, the route still runs through sensitive habitat north of the Hop River. An alternative route — running south of the river — sends the road through the towns of Columbia and Manchester and is not favored by locals. Changes made to the proposal to make it more "environmentally sensitive" may include increases in median width and the addition of bridges and wildlife underpasses to span the wetlands. However, these changes are unlikely to mitigate the fact that the plan would represent one of the largest wetlands fills in New England in over a decade.

Sources watching the developments say they would be shocked if the Corps approved the new application. Karyl Lee Hall of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment said that, with so many worthy transportation projects seeking funding, "it’s a shame that this one keeps coming back at the taxpayer’s expense."

Reportedly, the Corps recently contacted DOT to request that the project not be resubmitted, calling it a waste of time and money on the part of both agencies.