[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 156 (Friday, August 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 49288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20398]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Gaming Area Access, Gilpin, Clear 
Creek and Jefferson Counties, Colorado

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this Notice of Intent to advise the public 
that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for a 
proposed transportation project to improve access into the gaming 
communities of Black Hawk and Central City within Gilpin County, 
Colorado.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eva LaDow or Edrie Vinson, FHWA 
Colorado Division, 555 Zang Street, Room 250, Lakewood, Colorado 80228. 
Telephone (303) 969-6730 Extensions 341 and 378, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA in cooperation with the Colorado 
Department of Transportation Region 1 will prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to improve transportation access 
into the gaming communities of Black Hawk and Central City. The project 
area is located west of Denver and includes roadways within Jefferson, 
Gilpin and Clear Creek counties.
    The two primary access routes to towns of Black Hawk and Central 
City (U.S. 6 and S.H. 119) are experiencing dramatically increased 
traffic volumes and accident levels since 1991 when limited stakes 
gaming was approved by the voters of Colorado. Both roadways are 
located within steep mountain canyons paralleling Clear Creek, and are 
primarily two-lane with narrow shoulders and limited passing locations. 
Some safety improvements including pull-outs, centerline rumble strips, 
guardrail, curve widening, passing lanes and intersection modifications 
have been constructed, but no overall plan for improving safety, 
accommodating future traffic growth and/or accommodating alternative 
modes of transportation has been developed.
    Alternatives to be examined in this EIS include improvements to 
existing S.H. 119; new alignment corridors; alternative modes including 
busways and rail; Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies and 
Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) strategies. As required by NEPA 
(National Environmental Policy Act), the EIS will also evaluate a ``No 
Action'' alternative as a baseline for comparing impacts of all 
alternatives.
    The development of project alternatives is an ongoing process that 
will incorporate information identified during the public scoping 
process and from environmental and engineering evaluations. Public and 
agency input into the alternatives will be solicited through a series 
of public meetings, formation of a Technical Advisory Team (TAT), a 
project website and direct mailings including meeting announcements and 
newsletters. A public scoping open house was held on June 24, 2000 at 
the Gilpin County Library and at two casino locations in the towns of 
Black Hawk and Central City. Notices of this public meeting were mailed 
to local citizens, property owners and others and posted in local 
media. The many alternatives will be narrowed through a systematic 
screening process to a few recommended alternatives for full analysis 
in the draft EIS (DEIS). The DEIS will be available for public and 
agency review prior to a public hearing.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related 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 
directed to the Colorado Department of Transportation, Lisa Kassels, 
Project Manager CDOT Region 1, 18500 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, CO 
80011, (303) 757-9156 or [email protected].

(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 2, 2000.
Edrie L. Vinson,
Environmental/ROW Program Manager, Colorado Division, Federal Highway 
Administration, Lakewood, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 00-20398 Filed 8-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M