[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 250 (Thursday, December 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 73599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33925]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


First Tier Environmental Impact Statement: Jackson, Lafayette, 
Saline, Pettis, Cooper, Boone, Callaway, Montgomery, Warren, Lincoln, 
and St. Charles Counties, Missouri

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 a 
First Tier environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared for 
proposed improvements to Interstate 70 in Jackson, Lafayette, Saline, 
Pettis, Cooper, Boone, Callaway, Montgomery, Warren, Lincoln, and St. 
Charles Counties, Missouri.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Donald Neumann, Programs Engineer, 
FHWA Division Office, 209 Adams Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101, 
Telephone: (573) 636-7104 or Mr. Bob Sfreddo, Director of Project 
Development, Missouri Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 270, 
Jefferson City, MO 65102, Telephone: (573) 751-4586.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Missouri 
Department of Transportation (MoDOT), will prepare a First Tier EIS for 
a proposal to investigate improvements to Interstate 70 through 
Missouri, from the interchange with Interstate 470 in Independence, 
Missouri (Exit 15) to the interchange in Lake St. Louis, Missouri (Exit 
214). The first tier EIS will involve the examination of transportation 
strategies for improvements to Interstate 70 for 199 miles access the 
state of Missouri. The study area will be about five (5) miles on each 
side of existing Interstate 70 across Missouri.
    Strategies under consideration include: (1) Taking no action, (2) 
transportation system management, (3) other modes of transportation, 
(4) upgrading and improving the existing Interstate 70, (5) 
constructing a new limited-access highway on new or partially-new 
location, and (6) a combination of the above strategies. The First Tier 
EIS will be completed to a Record of Decision indicating a strategy and 
a broad corridor up to a mile wide for improvements to Interstate 70 
across Missouri. The first tier EIS also will indicate an approach for 
subsequent NEPA work in the Second Tier(s) within the selected 
corridor. It will indicate specific projects having independent utility 
and logical termini for the Second Tier effort to progress to 
subsequent detailed design and construction of manageable projects in 
the future. The Second Tier will involve the detailed NEPA study for 
specific alignments within the broad corridor previously selected in 
the First Tier EIS.
    The proposed First Tier EIS is the result of MoDOT's identification 
of Interstate 70 across Missouri for improvement as part of the future 
long range transportation plan. Given the current and projected traffic 
volumes, and the dated design of existing Interstate 70 (some portions 
dating from as early as 1956 as the first construction in the United 
States on the interstate highway system), improvements to the 
Interstate 70 corridor are considered critical to provide for a safe, 
efficient, and economical transportation network that will meet traffic 
demands in the state and for national travelers. The proposed 
improvements are also intended to be environmentally sound. System 
improvements will be examined based on the purposes of reducing traffic 
congestion, addressing roadway deficiencies, improving safety, reducing 
traffic congestion, and enhancing system linkage.
    A scoping process has been initiated that involves all appropriate 
federal and state agencies. This will continue throughout the study as 
an ongoing process. An intensive public information effort will be 
initiated in January 2000 to include those agencies, local agencies, 
and private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed, 
or are known to have, interest in this proposal. This effort also will 
inform the public living in the study area and those who travel on 
Interstate 70 from across the nation with the interest of capturing 
their comments for and about the study. Public informational meetings 
will be held across the study area to engage the regional community in 
the decision making process and to obtain public comment. In addition, 
public hearings will be held to present the findings of the First Tier 
Draft EIS (DEIS). Public notice will be given concerning the time and 
place of informational meetings and public hearings. The First Tier 
DEIS will be available for public and agency review and comment prior 
to the public hearings.
    To ensure the full range of issues related to this proposed action 
are addressed and all significant issues are identified, comments and 
suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning this proposed action and the First Tier EIS should 
be directed to the FHWA or MoDOT at the addresses previously provided.

(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: December 16, 1999.
Donald L. Neumann,
Programs Engineer, Jefferson City.
[FR Doc. 99-33925 Filed 12-29-99; 8:45 am]
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