[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46223-46224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-21955]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement; Henry, Lucas, Wood, and Fulton 
Counties, Ohio

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 a proposed highway 
project in Henry, Lucas, Wood, and Fulton Counties, Ohio.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Dan Dobson, Field Operations 
Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 200 N. High Street, Room 328, 
Columbus, Ohio 43215, Telephone: (614) 280-6853.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Ohio 
Department of Transportation, will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for a proposal to improve transportation in the U.S. 24 
corridor, from Napoleon to Toledo, in Henry, Lucas, Wood, and Fulton 
Counties, Ohio. The existing U.S. 24 facility is 25.3 miles in length 
within the study area. The study area extends generally from the 
eastern limits of the city of Napoleon in Henry County eastward through 
Lucas County to I-475

[[Page 46224]]

in the Toledo metropolitan area, and includes the extreme southeastern 
corner of Fulton County, and that portion of Wood County bounded 
generally by State Route 582 on the south, I-75 on the east, and I-475 
on the north. At the western terminus near Napoleon, U.S. 24 is a four-
lane, limited-access, divided highway for the first 0.5 miles, where it 
tapers to a two-lane section, just east of the TR 10 intersection. The 
two-lane section continues for the next 22.2 miles, until it crosses 
Dutch Road, just east of Waterville. There, it widens again to a four-
lane, limited-access, divided highway for the last 2.6 miles.
    This project is part of the ``Fort to Port'' corridor, identified 
in the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) as 
one of 21 High Priority Corridors on the National Highway System. 
Further, in its statewide long-range transportation plan, the State of 
Ohio identified the U.S. 24 corridor, from the Indiana state line to 
Toledo, as a ``macro-corridor,'' defined as ``those corridors of 
statewide significance upon which rests the economic vitality of 
Ohio.'' At the eastern terminus, the city of Toledo is an 
internationally significant intermodal hub. Efficient connections to 
the Port of Toledo, the Toledo Express Airport, and the I-75/I-80/I-90 
highway system are critical to the economic future of northwestern Ohio 
and northeastern Indiana.
    A feasibility study was previously conducted within the Fort to 
Port corridor to evaluate the deficiencies of the existing route, 
create a program and schedule for the plan development process, develop 
a capital cost estimate for improvement, and summarize the impact of 
the proposed improvements on the regional economy. The study divided 
the 81-mile Fort to Port corridor into three planning sections for 
study. Each planning section is independent of the other two. Based 
principally on existing and projected traffic volumes, resulting 
capacity problems, accident rates, and increased truck traffic, the 
section of U.S. 24 that is the subject of this EIS, from Napoleon to 
Toledo, was made the first priority for development.
    Alternatives will be developed that will address capacity, level of 
service, and safety deficiencies. It is expected that alternative 
solutions may consist of different alignments that diverge 
significantly from the existing corridor in some sections. The 
alternatives may also include improving and widening the existing 
roadway.
    FHWA, ODOT, and other local agencies invite participation in 
defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS, and any 
significant social, economic, or environmental issues related to the 
alternatives. Information describing the purpose of the project, the 
proposed alternatives, the areas to be evaluated, the citizen 
involvement program, and the preliminary project schedule are available 
on the project's web site (http://www.usrt24.com).
    Coordination with concerned federal, state, and local agencies will 
be conducted at four established concurrence points in ODOT's 
preliminary development process. The first public meetings will be held 
June 2 and 3, 1999.
    Coordination will be continued throughout the study with federal, 
state, and local agencies, and with private organizations and citizens 
who express or are known to have interest in this proposal. The draft 
EIS will be available for public and agency review and comment prior to 
the official public hearing. To ensure that the full range of issues 
relating to this proposed action are addressed, and all significant 
issues identified, comments and suggestions are invited from all 
interested parties. Comments or questions concerning this proposed 
action and the EIS should be sent to the FHWA at the address provided 
above.

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

    Issued on: August 18, 1999.
Mr. Dan Dobson,
Field Operations Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, Columbus, 
Ohio.
[FR Doc. 99-21955 Filed 8-23-99; 8:45 am]
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