[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 80 (Monday, April 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22590-22591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9383]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS): 
Pulaski County, AR

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a SDEIS.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a 
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) will be 
prepared for a proposed highway project in Pulaski County, Arkansas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Randal J. Looney, Environmental 
Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, Arkansas Division, 700 West 
Capitol Avenue, Room 3130, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201-3298, 
Telephone: (501) 324-6430.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FHWA, in cooperation with the Arkansas Highway and 
Transportation Department, will prepare a Supplemental Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) on a proposal to construct the 
North Belt Freeway, a four-lane, divided fully controlled access 
facility located on new alignment in northern Pulaski County, Arkansas. 
In 1994, a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and a Record of 
Decision (ROD) identified a selected alignment. However, a portion of 
this alignment was not compatible with the City of Sherwood's Master 
Street Plan, and the project was not included in the Transportation 
Improvement Program (TIP) developed by Metroplan, the responsible 
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
    A preliminary reevaluation of the project alignments completed in 
2003 attempted to establish if the local community and MPO could 
support the originally selected project alternative (1A). The public 
involvement process associated with this reevaluation indicated public 
opposition for the originally selected alignment alternative.
    The proposed project will primarily serve central Arkansas 
including Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Jacksonville, and 
northern Pulaski County. Due to the length of time since the project's 
original Draft (EIS) (13 years) and the changes that have occurred 
within the study corridor, the entire length of the proposed project 
will be included in the SDEIS. The SDEIS will function as a 
reassessment for the proposed freeway project in order to satisfy 
Federal Highway Administration requirements.
    In addition to documenting the engineering and environmental 
aspects of the new alignment alternative, updating the three previously 
studied alignment alternatives, and considering other feasible 
alternatives, the SDEIS will provide a comparative analysis of all 
feasible alternatives with the primary goal of the identification of a 
preferred alternative for the entire freeway project from Highway 67 to 
the I-40/I-430 interchange. This SDEIS evaluation will give 
consideration to Metroplan's Regional Plans and the City of Sherwood's 
Land Use Plans and Master Street Plans.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action and all significant issues are identified, comments and 
suggestions are invited from all interested parties regarding the 
proposed North Belt Freeway. Comments or questions concerning this 
proposed action should be directed to the FHWA Arkansas Division at the 
address provided above. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.


[[Page 22591]]


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

    Issued on: April 20, 2004
Sandra L. Otto,
Division Administrator, FHWA Little Rock, Arkansas.
[FR Doc. 04-9383 Filed 4-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M