[Federal Register: June 29, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 125)]
[Notices]
[Page 35737-35738]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29jn07-92]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Assessment: Jackson and Jennings Counties, IN
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).
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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is issuing this
notice to advise the public that FHWA will prepare an Environmental
Assessment (EA) to determine the need and feasibility of improvements
to U.S. 50 in Jackson and Jennings Counties in Indiana. This project
will adhere to the requirements of Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU so that
the steps completed during the EA process will not need to be revisited
if the project is elevated to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
in the future. The U.S. 50 improvement corridor is approximately 18
miles in length, running from the western terminus at I-65, near
Seymour in Jackson County, to the eastern terminus near the Jennings/
Ripley County Line, east of North Vernon. The objectives of this study
are to assess the need for and feasibility of improvements to the U.S.
50 corridor as well as other alternatives for improving mobility and
alleviating congestion in the urban area boundary of North Vernon and
in the general project vicinity.
DATES: Comments on the scope of the EA for the proposed project should
be forwarded no later than July 30, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to Carl D.
Camacho, P.E., Project Manager, Bernardin, Lochmueller & Associates,
Inc. (BLA), 6125 South East Street (US 31 South), Indianapolis, IN
46227. He can be reached by telephone at (317) 222-3880 or by e-mail at
ccamacho@blainc.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Heil, Environmental Specialist,
FHWA, at (317) 226-7480; or Steve Smith, Indiana Department of
Transportation (INDOT) Project Manager, at (317) 232-5646.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with INDOT, will
prepare an EA to determine the need and feasibility of improvements to
U.S. 50 in Jackson and Jennings Counties in Indiana. The U.S. 50
improvement corridor is approximately 18 miles in length, running from
the western terminus at I-65, near Seymour in Jackson County, to the
eastern terminus near the Jennings/Ripley County Line, east of North
Vernon. Issues prompting this study include high through traffic
volumes (especially trucks) on U.S. 50 through downtown North Vernon,
high crash frequency along U.S. 50 from U.S. 31 to the east urban
boundary of North Vernon, access to existing and potential commercial
and industrial economic growth areas, statewide and regional
transportation system mobility and development of the Muscatatuck Urban
Training Center (MUTC) east of North Vernon near Butlerville. The
objectives of this study are to assess the feasibility of improvements
to the U.S. 50 corridor, as well as other alternatives, for improving
mobility and alleviating congestion in the urban area boundary of North
Vernon and in the general project vicinity. This study will conform to
Indiana's Streamlined EIS Procedures and the new SAFETEA-LU Section
6002 requirements.
Environmental Issues: Possible environmental impacts include
displacement of commercial and residential properties, increased noise
in some areas, decreased noise in other areas, effects to historical
properties or archaeological sites, viewshed impacts, impacts to water
resources, wetlands, prime farmland, sensitive biological species and
habitat, land use compatibility impacts and impacts to agricultural
lands.
Alternatives: The EA will consider alternatives that include the
No-Build (Do Nothing) Alternative as well as a full range of build
alternatives ranging from transportation system management improvements
to major capital investments on existing and new alignment.
Scoping and Comment: FHWA encourages broad participation in the EA
process and review of the resulting environmental documents. Comments,
questions, and suggestions related to the project and potential
socioeconomic and environmental concerns are invited from all
interested agencies and the public at large to ensure that the full
range of issues related to the proposed action and all reasonable
alternatives are considered and all significant issues are identified.
These comments, questions, and suggestions should be forwarded to the
address listed above.
Early Coordination Letters were sent to the appropriate Federal,
State and local agencies on January 31, 2007, describing the proposed
action. An invitation letter was sent to potential Participating
Agencies inviting the agencies to be Participating Agencies in the
study, encouraging agency comments and suggestions concerning the
proposed project, and further defining the roles of Participating
Agencies. Existing and future conditions and issues within the project
area have been identified and presented to the public in a widely
advertised Public Information Meeting held in North Vernon, Indiana, on
Thursday, February 8, 2007. The draft purpose and need for the project
has been developed and preliminary alternatives identified. The purpose
and need and preliminary alternatives are currently available for
public review and comment. A Public Information Meeting was held on
June 26, 2007 and a Resource Agency Meeting was held on June 29, 2007.
Agencies and the public will also have an opportunity to comment when
the preliminary alternatives have been evaluated and screened and again
upon identification of the preferred alternative(s).
Notices of availability for the purpose and need and identification
of preliminary alternatives, evaluation and screening of preliminary
alternatives, and identification of preferred alternative(s) are being
provided through direct mail, e-mail, the project Web site at http://www.us50northvernon.org
and other media. Notification is also being
sent to Federal, State, local agencies, persons
[[Page 35738]]
and organizations that submit comments or questions. Precise schedules
and locations for public meetings will be announced in the local news
media and the project Web site. Interested individuals and
organizations may request to be included on the mailing list for
distribution of meeting announcements and associated information.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 20.205, Highway
Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing Executive
Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on Federal
programs and activities apply to the program.)
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 23 CFR 771.123; 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: June 25, 2007.
Robert F. Tally, Jr.,
Division Administrator, Indianapolis, Indiana.
[FR Doc. E7-12629 Filed 6-28-07; 8:45 am]
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