Environmental Clearances for County Road & Bridge Improvements
ODOT needed to move county road and bridge improvements forward across the state under federal funding. Each project required NEPA clearance. The real challenge was volume and coordination.
Dozens of projects, multiple agencies, and overlapping regulatory requirements created a constant risk of delay. Without a disciplined approach, approvals stall, coordination fragments, and schedules slip.
The Objective
Keep projects moving. Deliver NEPA clearances that are consistent, defensible, and aligned with program schedules across a statewide portfolio.
The Approach
Guernsey stepped in as ODOT’s NEPA coordinator, managing both the technical work and the process that surrounds it.
Front-load the risk
Each project began with targeted fieldwork and technical review. Initial Site Assessments, biological evaluations, wetlands investigations, and cultural reconnaissance identified constraints early, when they could still be managed.
Control the coordination
We led tribal coordination, property owner notification, Section 4(f) considerations, and interagency engagement. Instead of reacting to agency feedback, the process stayed aligned from the start.
Standardize delivery
Most projects advanced as Categorical Exclusions (CATEX). We applied a consistent framework for documentation, reporting, and monthly status tracking, creating clarity for ODOT and confidence for reviewers.
This reflects a broader discipline: early issue identification, proactive coordination, and clear documentation to reduce risk and keep approvals moving.
Scope of Work
- NEPA Categorical Exclusions (CATEX)
- Initial Site Assessments (ISAs)
- Biological reviews
- Wetlands investigations
- Cultural resources reconnaissance
- Noise studies (as required)
- Tribal coordination
- Property owner notification
- Section 4(f) support
- Interagency coordination
- Environmental clearance reporting and monthly status reporting
Scale
This was a sustained, program-level effort.
Guernsey completed scores of CATEX clearances supporting county road and bridge improvements statewide.
Each clearance required coordination across environmental considerations such as biological resources, cultural resources, wetlands, and other regulatory factors routinely addressed in NEPA reviews.
Guernsey completed 36+ NEPA task orders supporting county road and bridge improvements statewide. ODOT awarded Guernsey three on-demand contracts for these services, reflecting repeat selection based on performance.
The Outcome
- Reliable NEPA clearances across a high volume of projects
- Consistent documentation that met federal and state requirements
- Reduced coordination risk through early engagement and oversight
- Projects positioned to move forward without avoidable delay
For ODOT, this meant a program that kept advancing rather than slowing under its own complexity.