[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16887-16888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8948]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: San Mateo County, California

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to supplement a final environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a 
supplement to a final environmental impact statement will be prepared 
for a proposed highway project in San Mateo County, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John R. Schultz, Chief, District 
Operations-North, Federal Highway Administration, 980 Ninth Street, 
Suite 400, Sacramento, California 95814-2724; Telephone: (916) 498-
5041.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the California 
Department of Transportation (Caltrans), will prepare a supplement to 
the final environmental impact statement (EIS) on a proposal to improve 
State Route (SR) 1 in San Mateo County, California. The original final 
EIS for the improvements (FHWA-CA-EIS-83-14-F) was approved on April 
16, 1986. The project study limits of alternatives considered in the 
final EIS extended from Half Moon Bay Airport, between Moss Beach and 
El Granada, on the south to Linda Mar Boulevard in Pacifica on the 
north, a distance of approximately 11.3 km (7 miles).
    The preferred alternative, identified in the final EIS and selected 
in the Record of Decision signed on May 30, 1986, is known as the 
Martini Creek alignment alternative. From the southern end, this 
alternative begins north of the southern project study limit on SR 1, 
0.2 km (0.1 mile) north of Montara near the Chart House Restaurant. 
From there it swings inland, crosses Martini Creek, curves seaward 
(west) and then northeasterly, proceeds over the San Pedro Mountain 
saddle and down into the City of Pacifica where it rejoins SR 1 at 
Linda Mar Boulevard. The proposed project is a two-land, controlled 
access facility; however, since the entire project on both sides of the 
summit exceeds six percent, the project design includes an uphill slow 
vehicle lane in each direction. The proposed project is approximately 
7.2 km (4.5 miles) in length.
    Litigation regarding the project was commenced in U.S. District 
Court in the Northern District of California in June 1986 (Sierra Club, 
et al. v. United States Department of Transportation, et al., Civ. No. 
86-3384 DLJ). The project has been enjoined since September 1986, prior 
to the commencement of any construction. Ultimately, the District Court 
found that the final EIS was inadequate only in its discussion and 
analysis of noise impacts and required a re-analysis of those impacts, 
as set forth in the Court's Orders of April 3, 1989, and April 2, 1990. 
Thereafter, in 1995, FHWA and Caltrans prepared a limited supplemental 
EIS for the purpose of addressing the noise impact analysis 
deficiencies in the final EIS, as determined in the litigation.
    Based on public comments received, the August 10, 1995 Record of 
Decision regarding the supplemental EIS included a commitment by the 
FHWA to address the issue of a tunnel alternative in the reevaluation 
of the 1986 final EIS. A tunnel alternative was considered earlier in 
the project development process, but has been withdrawn from active 
consideration prior to the issuance of the draft EIS that was the basis 
for the 1986 final EIS. The reevaluation was to be undertaken since 
major steps to advance the project had not occurred within three years 
after the approval of the final EIS. 23 CFR 771.129(b). The intent of 
the reevaluation of the final EIS was to determine whether or not new 
information or circumstances relevant to environmental concerns and 
bearing on the proposed project or its impacts would result in 
significant environmental impacts not evaluated in the final EIS. 23 
CFR 771.130(a)(2).
    In response to requests from local agencies and the public, 
Caltrans hired an independent consulting firm to conduct a tunnel 
feasibility study. Based upon the results of the tunnel feasibility 
report issued in October 1996, and the updated cost estimates for the 
revised highway bypass alternative (now $117 million), FHWA and 
Caltrans have determined that a tunnel alternative is a reasonable 
alternative for the proposed project that should be fully evaluated in 
the environmental process. Therefore, a second supplement to the 1986 
final EIS will be prepared and will include an analysis of both the 
updated Martini Creek bypass alternative and a tunnel alternative. 
Since the purpose of a reevaluation is to determine whether or not the 
original EIS remains valid, FHWA's decision to prepare a full 
supplemental EIS (as compared with the 1995 supplemental EIS which was 
of limited scope) means that a reevaluation of the 1986 final EIS is no 
longer necessary.

[[Page 16888]]

    In the meantime, on November 5, 1996, the voters of San Mateo 
County passed the Devil's Slide Tunnel Initiative known as Measure T. 
Passage of the Measure initiated the process to amend the County's land 
use plan portion of the San Mateo County certified Local Coastal 
Program (LCP) to provide a tunnel for motorized vehicles only behind 
Devil's Slide through San Pedro Mountain as the preferred alternative 
for Highway 1 around Devil's Slide, and to delete references to a two-
lane bypass along the Martini Creek alignment. The Initiative required 
that the tunnel be designed consistent with restricting Route 1 to a 2-
lane scenic highway using minimum state and federal tunnel standards, 
and that a separate trail for pedestrians and bicycles be provided 
outside the tunnel. The Measure also requires voter approval of any 
other alternative to the tunnel, except repair of the existing highway. 
On January 9, 1997, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously 
to certify the LCP amendment as submitted by the County.
    The proposed tunnel alternative is a 1,219 m (4,000-foot) long, 
double bore facility with one lane in each direction. The north 
approach road is about 457 m (1,500 feet) long, and the south approach 
road is about 305 m (1,000 feet) long. Proceeding south from Pacifica, 
the alignment departs from existing Route 1 along a 7% uphill grade, 
crosses the valley at Shamrock Ranch, passes through a small ravine, 
enters the tunnel beneath San Pedro Mountain, and exits the tunnel just 
south of the Devil's Slide area where it rejoins the existing highway.
    Two tunnel design variations, a 9.1 m (30-foot) wide tunnel 
(variation A), and an 11.0 m 36-foot) wide tunnel (variation B), will 
be analyzed in the SEIS/EIR. The total project costs of tunnel 
variations A and B are estimated to be $125,950,000 and $130,294,000, 
respectively. Tunnel variation B allows pedestrian and bicycle access 
inside the tunnel, while variation A provides a pedestrian/bicycle path 
outside the tunnel. Even though tunnel variation B is not consistent 
with the County's recently revised LCP, this design must be considered 
until an economically and environmentally feasible bicycle/pedestrian 
path alignment outside the tunnel (variation A) has been established 
through the environmental process. Until such time, variation B will be 
analyzed as a viable option that retains bicycle and pedestrian 
continuity along Route 1.
    Letters describing this proposed action and soliciting comments 
will be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to 
private organizations and individuals that have previously expressed, 
or are known to have, an interest in this proposal. In addition, two 
formal public hearings will be held on the draft supplemental EIS; one 
in Half Moon Bay, and one in Pacifica. Public notice will be given of 
the exact time and place of the hearings. The draft supplemental EIS 
will be available for public and agency review and comment prior to the 
public hearings.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and that all significant issues are identified, 
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. 
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the 
supplemental EIS should be directed to the FHWA at the address provided 
above.

(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: April 1, 1997.
G.P. Bill Wong,
Senior Transportation Engineer, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 97-8948 Filed 4-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M