[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46061-46062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22028]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement; Humboldt County, California

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 Route 
101 project in Humboldt County in the Cities of Eureka and Arcata, and 
vicinity.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: R.C. Slovensky, Acting Program 
Delivery Team Leader, North, Federal Highway Administration, 980 Ninth 
Street, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814-2724, telephone (916) 498-5774. 
Kim Floyd, California Department of Transportation Project Manager, 
P.O. Box 3700, Eureka, CA 95502-3700, telephone (707) 441-5739.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Route 101 is part of the National Highway 
System and is a principal arterial route. The route is often referred 
to as the ``lifeline of the North Coast'' since it is the north coast's 
most important interregional route, serving as the connector to the 
Santa Rosa/San Francisco metropolitan areas to the south and the State 
of Oregon to the north. It is heavily used for the transportation of 
intercity/interstate commerce as well as being the principal route to 
many north coast recreational areas including State and National parks, 
rivers, ocean fishing, and beach areas. North of San Francisco, it is 
the second most heavily traveled non-freeway segment on Route 101 
within California.
    The proposed project limits extend from the intersection of State 
Route 255 in City of Eureka to the State Route 255 interchange in the 
City of Arcata along the Route 101 corridor from KP 127.5 to KP 138.1 
(PM 79.2 to PM 85.8) in Humboldt County. The existing Route 101 
corridor within these limits consists of two one-way arterials, a four-
lane expressway, and a four-lane freeway.
    The proposed Eureka-Arcata Corridor Improvement Project consists of 
the following:
    1. Construct an interchange at Route 101 and Indianola Road;
    2. Within existing expressway segments, all median crossings would 
be closed;
    3. All existing at-grade access would be restricted to right-turn 
on/off movements only;

[[Page 46062]]

    4. Acceleration and deceleration lanes would be lengthened at all 
access locations if needed;
    5. The median width could be reduced.
    In addition to the proposed project and No-Build Alternative, 
alternatives, including upgrade to freeway, that will meet the project 
purpose and need will be evaluated during the EIS process. Alternatives 
with substantially higher cost or with extensive environmental impacts 
will be considered infeasible and not be considered for further study.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to 
private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are 
known to have an interest in this proposal. A scoping meeting is 
scheduled from 5 to 8 pm on September 20, 2001 at the Eureka Public 
Marina Wharfinger Building #1 Marina Way, in Eureka, CA.
    Public notice will be given of the time and place of the scoping 
meeting. To ensure that the full range of issues related to this 
proposed action are addressed and all significant issues identified, 
comments and suggestion are invited from all interested parties. The 
views of agencies which may have knowledge about historic resources 
potentially affected by the proposal or interest in the effects of the 
proposal on historic properties are specifically solicited. Comments or 
question concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be directed 
to the FHWA at the address provided above by October 30, 2001.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation Federal programs and activities apply to this program.

    Issued on: August 13, 2001.
R. Clayton Slovensky,
Acting Program Delivery Team Leader, North Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 01-22028 Filed 8-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M