[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 46 (Thursday, March 7, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9221-9222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5351]



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[[Page 9222]]


DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: City of Issaquah, King County, 
Washington

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
environmental impact statement will be prepared for the Sunset 
Interchange modifications and the South Sammamish Plateau Access Road 
in the City of Issaquah, King County, Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gene Fong, Division Administrator, 
Federal Highway Administration, Evergreen Plaza Building, 711 South 
Capitol Way, Suite 501, Olympia, Washington 98501, telephone (360) 753-
9413; Robert D. Aye, Acting Northwest Regional Administrator, 
Washington State Department of Transportation, 15700 Dayton Ave. N., PO 
Box 33310, Seattle, Washington 98133, telephone (206) 440-4693; Dave 
Crippen, Supervising Environmental Engineer, King County Department of 
Public Works, 400 Yesler Way, Room 400, Seattle, WA 98104-3637, 
telephone (206) 296-8092; or Ann DeFee, Grand Ridge Project Manager, 
Department of Public Works, City of Issaquah, PO Box 1307, Issaquah, 
Washington 98107, telephone (206) 391-1004.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Washington 
State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), City of Issaquah and King 
County will prepare an environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for an 
interchange revision at the existing East Sunset Way Interchange on 
Interstate 90 (I-90). A new north-south arterial (called the South 
Sammamish Plateau Access Road, or South SPAR) will connect the Sunset 
Interchange to an intersection with a major east-west arterial in the 
southwestern portion of the Grand Ridge Development area. The South 
Spar is not expected to be a Federal project, but because its utility 
is largely dependent on the interchange project, its impacts are 
considered indirect impacts of the interchange project and are being 
evaluated in the same document. The South SPAR would be located along 
one of several alternative alignments as defined in previous 
feasibility studies completed for the project. The project is sponsored 
by two private developers, the Grand Ridge Ltd. partnership and the 
Glacier Ridge Ltd. Partnership. The I-90 Sunset Interchange revision 
would modify the existing partial interchange, which provides only a 
west bound off-ramp and east bound on-ramp, to a full interchange that 
provides for all traffic movements to and from I-90. The South SPAR 
arterial is planned to be a multi-lane road that would provide through-
lanes, turn-lane channelization, bicycle lanes, curb, gutter, sidewalk, 
stormwater management, water quality treatment, retaining walls, 
bridges, landscaping, signage, lighting, and signalization. 
Alternatives under consideration include: a No-Action Alternative and 
at least two roadway alignment alternatives for the South SPAR, and 
various ramp configurations for the interchange. Analysis will focus on 
identifying impacts and mitigation measures and providing information 
appropriate to choosing a preferred alternative from among the 
alternatives identified through the scoping and public involvement 
process. The EIS will identify direct, secondary and cumulative impacts 
associated with the interchange modification and the roadway 
alternatives under consideration.
    The EIS will also discuss other cumulative impacts, taking into 
consideration two separate but related projects which are in the 
planning stage: (1) The proposed Issaquah Southeast Bypass, expected to 
connect I-90, in the vicinity of the modified Sunset Interchange, to 
Issaquah-Hobart Road; and (2) the proposed North Sammamish Plateau 
Access Road (North SPAR), which would provide access from the proposed 
South SPAR to the existing intersection of Issaquah-Pine Lake Road 
Southeast and Issaquah-Fall City Road Southeast. The North SPAR is a 
King County-sponsored project separate from the Sunset Interchange/
South SPAR project with its own logical termini and independent 
utility. It will be addressed in a separate project-specific EIS 
written in accordance with the Washington State Environmental Policy 
Act (SEPA). Relevant information about various environmental issues 
related to the North SPAR will be incorporated into the Sunset 
Interchange/South SPAR EIS to address secondary and cumulative impacts. 
A project-specific EIS has not been initiated for the Issaquah 
Southeast Bypass; therefore, this section of the corridor will also be 
addressed in the Sunset Interchange/South SPAR EIS in a general way in 
the discussion of secondary and cumulative impacts. The overall roadway 
corridor will be examined in sections with logical termini and 
independent utility. The sections are: (1) ``Southeast Issaquah 
Bypass'', Issaquah-Hobart Road to I-90, approximately 2.4 km (1.5 
mile); (2) ``I-90 Sunset interchange modifications and South Sammamish 
Plateau Access Road (South SPAR)'', I-90 to a major east-west arterial 
approximately 1.6 km (1 mile) north of I-90; and (3) ``North Sammamish 
Plateau Access Road (North SPAR)'', a proposed 1.3 km (0.8 mile) road 
from the major arterial approximately 1.6 km (1 mile) north of I-90 
continuing north to the Issaquah-Fall City Road.
    The purpose of the proposed projects is to provide improved auto, 
transit, bicycle, and pedestrian access to existing and future 
residential and commercial developments contained in the approved City 
of Issaquah and King County Comprehensive Plans. The project will 
improve existing congestion along Issaquah-Fall City Road, Issaquah-
Pine Lake Road, and the Front Street interchange at I-90. Approved land 
use plans indicate the area will see significant increases in 
population within the near future.
    Environmental issues of concern to be addressed in the EIS include 
steep slopes, wetlands, air quality, fisheries resources and water 
quality in local streams and Lake Sammamish. Letters describing the 
proposed action and soliciting comments will be sent to appropriate 
Federal, State, and local agencies, appropriate Native American tribes, 
and to private organizations and citizens who have expressed, or are 
known to have, an interest in this proposal. A scoping meeting is 
planned to be held in March 1996. The public and all affected agencies 
will be invited to attend. A public notice will be given of the time 
and place of the meeting.
    To assure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues are identified, 
comments are invited from all interested parties. Comments and 
suggestions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be 
directed to the FHWA at the address provided.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this 
program)

    Issued on: February 23, 1996.
Michael R. Brower,
Urban Transportation Engineer, Olympia, WA.
[FR Doc. 96-5351 Filed 3-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M