[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 31973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14829]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Bellevue, King County, WA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Cancellation of notice of intent [FR document 97-13308; Filed 
5-20-97].

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to rescind the previous Notice 
of Intent issued on May 9, 1997 [appeared in the Federal Register on 
May 21, 1997], to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for 
the proposed highway project in Bellevue, King, County, Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Mathis, Federal Highway 
Administration, Evergreen Plaza Building, Suite 501, 711 South Capitol 
Way, Olympia, Washington, 98501-1284, Telephone: (360) 753-9413; John 
Okamoto, WSDOT Northwest Region Administrator, 15700 Dayton Avenue 
North, P.O. Box 330310, Seattle, Washington, 98133-9710, Telephone: 
(206) 440-4691 or Len Pavelka, City of Bellevue Senior Transportation 
Planner, PO Box 90012, Bellevue, Washington 98009-9012, Telephone: 
(425) 452-2035.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, with the co-lead agencies of the 
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the city of 
Bellevue, issued a Notice of Intent on May 9, 1997 to prepared an EIS 
on a proposal to provide additional eastbound and westbound access to 
SR 520 between Interstate 405 and 148th Avenue NE in Bellevue, 
Washington.
    Following the alternative screening process, the Bellevue City 
Council acted on October 23, 2000, upon a recommendation by the project 
Interdisciplinary team and confirmed the selection of the ``No Action'' 
alternative as the preferred alternative for this project. Further work 
on the EIS was terminated.
    The decision was based on three primary factors: (1) Controversial 
input from the adjacent community, (2) a review of the technical 
analysis summarized in the Transportation Technical Report which 
revealed a very low benefit to cost relationship, and (3) the analysis 
showed that the interchange alternatives at 124th Avenue NE and 130th 
Avenue NE would have a negligible affect on reducing congestion to meet 
the project purpose.
    Estimated costs for the build alternatives ranged from $35 million 
to $80 million. These latest cost estimates were substantially higher 
than previous estimates and exceeded available funds to construct any 
type of added access improvement to/from SR 520.
    In further response to the Council action, the City removed the 
project from its short-range (6 year) Capital Investment Program. The 
City is also removing the project from its mid-range (12 year) 
transportations programming document, the Transportation Facilities 
Plan.

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

    Issued on: June 4, 2001.
Jim Leonard,
Transportation and Environmental Engineer, Olympia, Washington, for the 
division Administrator.
[FR Doc. 01-14829 Filed 6-12-01; 8:45 am]
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