[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 242 (Monday, December 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 75236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24193]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Alameda and Contra Costa 
Counties, CA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the 
Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
the proposed project to construct a fourth bore to the Caldecott Tunnel 
between State Route 24/Broadway interchange in the City of Oakland in 
Alameda County and the State Route 24/Camino Pablo interchange in the 
City of Orinda in Contra Costa County, California is being withdrawn; 
and an Environmental Assessment (EA) in lieu of an EIS is being 
prepared for this proposed highway project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Leland W. Dong, Project 
Development Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, California 
Division, 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 4-100, Sacramento, California 95814, 
Telephone: (916) 498-5860 or to Ms. Cristina Ferraz, Regional Project 
Manager, California Department of Transportation, 111 Grand Avenue, 
Oakland CA 94623-0660, Telephone: (510) 286-3890.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the California 
Department of Transportation (Caltrans), conducted studies of the 
potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed highway 
project to construct a fourth bore to the Caldecott Tunnel between 
Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California. A NOI was published in 
the Federal Register/Volume 67/No. 225/November 21, 2002. Subsequently, 
during the course of conducting studies and coordinating with 
regulatory and resource agencies for this proposed project, it was 
determined that the potential environmental issues that led to issuing 
the Notice of Intent were not significant. In addition, it was 
determined that changes to avoid or minimize potential impacts 
identified in early scoping can be incorporated into the proposed 
project. Changes to minimizing impacts were achieved by eliminating 
alternative alignments that had higher impacts, by reducing the number 
of lanes to either two or three lanes in lieu of four lanes thereby 
reducing the tunnel footprint, and by evaluating alignments that will 
not require the acquisition of additional right-of-way or acquisition 
of recreational or historic properties protected by section 4(f) of the 
Department of Transportation Act of 1966.
    The FHWA has determined that the proposed project is not 
anticipated to result in significant impacts to the environment; that 
an EA would be an appropriate environmental document for the project; 
and that the Notice of Intent for this project is being withdrawn.
    The EA will be available for public inspection prior to the public 
meeting for the proposed project. Comments or questions concerning this 
proposed project and the determination that an EA is the appropriate 
environmental document should be directed to the FHWA or Caltrans at 
the addresses provided above.

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


    Issued on: December 13, 2005.
Leland W. Dong,
Project Development Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 
Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 05-24193 Filed 12-16-05; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M