[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11978-11979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5940]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement; Douglas 
County, Kansas

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 we 
are reopening the preparation of a supplemental document to the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for a segment of the South 
Lawrence Trafficway project in Douglas County, Kansas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David R. Geiger, P.E., FHWA Kansas 
Division Administrator; Telephone: (785) 267-7287, FHWA--Kansas 
Division Office, 3300 South Topeka Boulevard, Suite 1, Topeka, Kansas 
66611-2237.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing 
Office's Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet 
users may reach the Federal Register's home page at: http://
www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's database at: 
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

Background

    The FHWA, in cooperation with the Kansas Department of 
Transportation (KDOT) and Douglas County, will recommence preparation 
of a final supplement to the FEIS for a segment of the highway project 
known as the South Lawrence Trafficway (SLT). The original FEIS for the 
improvements (FHWA-KS-EIS-87-01-F) was approved on January 4, 1990, and 
the Record of Decision was approved on June 5, 1990. The project would 
be primarily on a new location and developed initially as a two lane 
road. The SLT Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) 
corridor begins at U.S. 59 and extends east to K-10 on the south side 
of Lawrence. The western section of the SLT from the I-70/Kansas 
Turnpike Authority (KTA) interchange near Lecompton, south and east to 
U.S. 59, has been constructed and was opened to traffic in late 1996 
(See 59 FR 52360, October 17, 1994).
    The SLT is intended to provide for traffic demands and to alleviate 
congestion on two primary arterial streets in the south and west 
sections of the City of Lawrence, and to improve access to the 
University of Kansas and Clinton Lake.
    The FHWA circulated a draft supplemental EIS on October 2, 1995, to 
address concerns regarding new information on the effect of the SLT on 
cultural issues, spiritual sites, academic programs and future 
development at Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) which was not 
previously evaluated in the FEIS. A public hearing was held on November 
8, 1995. Numerous comments were received on the Draft SEIS from both 
the public and governmental agencies. Work to develop the Final SEIS 
was initiated, but was delayed when consensus could not be reached on a 
preferred alignment.
    On February 27, 1997 (See 62 FR 10305, March 6, 1997), the FHWA 
withdrew as the lead Federal agency due to KDOT and Douglas County 
deciding not to use Federal-aid funds

[[Page 11979]]

for the project. Subsequent legal action resulted in a determination 
that the SEIS must be completed before the project could proceed. Since 
the approval date for the Draft SEIS was over three years old, the FHWA 
completed a reevaluation of the Draft document and found that it 
remains valid. Therefore, the FHWA will reinstate the process to 
complete the Supplemental Environmental document process.
    The FHWA has determined that a formal scoping meeting is not 
necessary.

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.
David R. Geiger,
P.E., Division Administrator, Kansas Division, Federal Highway 
Administration, Topeka, Kansas.
[FR Doc. 99-5940 Filed 3-9-99; 8:45 am]
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