[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 22 (Thursday, February 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5720-5721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2112]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: New Castle County, DE

AGENCIES: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Delaware 
Department of Transportation (DelDOT).

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for a proposed 
highway improvement project in southern New Castle County, Delaware.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert F. Kleinburd, Realty and 
Environmental Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration, Delaware 
Division, J. Allen Frear Federal Building, 300 South New Street, Room 
2101, Dover, DE 19904; Telephone: (302) 734-2966; or Mr. Mark Tudor, 
P.E., Project Manager, Delaware Department of Transportation, 800 Bay 
Road, P.O. Box 778, Dover, DE 19903; Telephone (302) 760-2275. DelDOT 
Public Relations Office (800) 652-5600 (in DE only).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 
in cooperation with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), 
will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider the 
construction of a new roadway connection in southern New Castle County, 
Delaware. The proposed facility would connect two existing highways 
(U.S. Route 301 at the Maryland/Delaware border with Delaware Route 1, 
south of the C&D Canal), which pass through a rapidly developing area 
in southern New Castle County near the community of Middletown, 
Delaware.
    In 1990, DelDOT initiated the U.S. Route 301 Corridor Study that 
resulted in the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS). The DEIS evaluated the need for, location and design features 
of transportation alternatives to improve traffic service and 
operations on U.S. Route 301 and Delaware Route 896 between the 
Delaware/Maryland line and I-95. The DEIS compared the environmental 
impacts of a variety of alternatives, focused on highway solutions 
primarily assessing alternative highway corridors in a relatively 
narrow study area encompassing the Route 301/896 corridor. In December 
1994, following completion of the DEIS, DelDOT announced that the 
corridor would be the subject of a Major Investment Study (MIS) that 
would assemble a package of land use measures, multi-modal 
transportation options, design standards for both transportation and 
land use activities, transportation demand management strategies and 
financing.
    The Greater Route 301 Major Investment Study was initiated in 1995 
and a Final Report was completed in 2000. The Final MIS recommended 
that three alternatives be studied in a new EIS. It is the intent of 
the FHWA and DelDOT to pursue the MIS recommendations and prepare the 
appropriate environmental documentation.

[[Page 5721]]

    A program of public involvement and coordination with Federal, 
State, and local agencies will be initiated. Both agency coordination 
and public involvement will continue throughout the development of the 
EIS. Comments are being solicited from appropriate Federal, State, and 
local agencies, private organizations and citizens who have previously 
expressed or are known to have interest in this project. Additional 
informational meetings will be scheduled during the course of the 
project development effort. The draft EIS will be available for public 
and agency review and comment.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action is addressed and all significant issues identified, comments and 
suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning this proposed action and the environmental 
documentation should be directed to the FHWA or DelDOT at the addresses 
provided above.

(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.)

    Dated: January 18, 2005.
Raymond J. McCormick,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Dover, 
Delaware.
[FR Doc. 05-2112 Filed 2-2-05; 8:45 am]
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