[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 2814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1194]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS): Mills County, IA; Cass County, NE; and Sarpy 
County, NE

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Rescind notice of intent to prepare an EIS.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that we 
are rescinding the notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS for 
improvements proposed to U.S. 34, from Interstate 29 in Mills County, 
IA, to U.S. 75 in Cass or Sarpy county in Nebraska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Rold, Transportation Engineer, 
FHWA Iowa Division Office, 105 Sixth Street, Ames, IA 50010, Ph. 515-
233-7307; or James P. Rost, Director, Office of Location and 
Environment, Iowa Department of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, 
IA 50010, Ph. 515-239-1798.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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the Federal Register's home page at http://www.nara.gov/fedreg.

Background

    The FHWA, in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Transportation 
(Iowa DOT) and Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR), are rescinding the 
notice of intent to prepare an EIS for improvements proposed to U.S. 
34, from Interstate 29 in Mills County, IA, to U.S. 75 in Cass or Sarpy 
county in Nebraska.
    On Sept. 12, 1994, FHWA issued a NOI to prepare an EIS as part of 
the development process for the replacement of the U.S. 34 bridge over 
the Missouri River.
    In January 1996, a draft EIS was released evaluating the 
replacement of the U.S. 34 bridge over the Missouri River at the city 
of Plattsmouth in Cass County, NE.
    A multi-step screening process, which included public information 
meetings and a public hearing, was used to develop and evaluate two 
alignment alternatives. One alignment was located near the city of 
Bellevue in Sarpy County, NE, and the other near the city of 
Plattsmouth in Cass County, NE.
    Comments received during and subsequent to the public hearing on 
the draft EIS determined that consensus could not be reached for 
identifying a preferred alignment for the final EIS. Consequently, no 
final EIS will be prepared.
    Recently, the Iowa DOT and NDOR agreed to jointly pursue the 
development of two bridges across the Missouri River, one near 
Bellevue, NE, and a second near Plattsmouth, NE. As part of this 
agreement, two environmental impact statements will be prepared, one 
for each bridge.
    The Bellevue bridge replacement study and Plattsmouth bridge 
replacement study will be the subjects of two separate notices of 
intent, published subsequent to this notice. Comments or questions 
concerning the decision to not prepare a Final EIS should be directed 
to the Iowa Department of Transportation or FHWA at the address 
provided in the caption FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

(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)

(Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48)
    Dated: January 13, 2003.
Bobby W. Blackmon,
Division Administrator, FHWA Iowa Division.
[FR Doc. 03-1194 Filed 1-17-03; 8:45 am]
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