[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 125 (Friday, June 29, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35737-35738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12629]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Assessment: Jackson and Jennings Counties, IN

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is issuing this 
notice to advise the public that FHWA will prepare an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) to determine the need and feasibility of improvements 
to U.S. 50 in Jackson and Jennings Counties in Indiana. This project 
will adhere to the requirements of Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU so that 
the steps completed during the EA process will not need to be revisited 
if the project is elevated to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
in the future. The U.S. 50 improvement corridor is approximately 18 
miles in length, running from the western terminus at I-65, near 
Seymour in Jackson County, to the eastern terminus near the Jennings/
Ripley County Line, east of North Vernon. The objectives of this study 
are to assess the need for and feasibility of improvements to the U.S. 
50 corridor as well as other alternatives for improving mobility and 
alleviating congestion in the urban area boundary of North Vernon and 
in the general project vicinity.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the EA for the proposed project should 
be forwarded no later than July 30, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to Carl D. 
Camacho, P.E., Project Manager, Bernardin, Lochmueller & Associates, 
Inc. (BLA), 6125 South East Street (US 31 South), Indianapolis, IN 
46227. He can be reached by telephone at (317) 222-3880 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Heil, Environmental Specialist, 
FHWA, at (317) 226-7480; or Steve Smith, Indiana Department of 
Transportation (INDOT) Project Manager, at (317) 232-5646.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with INDOT, will 
prepare an EA to determine the need and feasibility of improvements to 
U.S. 50 in Jackson and Jennings Counties in Indiana. The U.S. 50 
improvement corridor is approximately 18 miles in length, running from 
the western terminus at I-65, near Seymour in Jackson County, to the 
eastern terminus near the Jennings/Ripley County Line, east of North 
Vernon. Issues prompting this study include high through traffic 
volumes (especially trucks) on U.S. 50 through downtown North Vernon, 
high crash frequency along U.S. 50 from U.S. 31 to the east urban 
boundary of North Vernon, access to existing and potential commercial 
and industrial economic growth areas, statewide and regional 
transportation system mobility and development of the Muscatatuck Urban 
Training Center (MUTC) east of North Vernon near Butlerville. The 
objectives of this study are to assess the feasibility of improvements 
to the U.S. 50 corridor, as well as other alternatives, for improving 
mobility and alleviating congestion in the urban area boundary of North 
Vernon and in the general project vicinity. This study will conform to 
Indiana's Streamlined EIS Procedures and the new SAFETEA-LU Section 
6002 requirements.
    Environmental Issues: Possible environmental impacts include 
displacement of commercial and residential properties, increased noise 
in some areas, decreased noise in other areas, effects to historical 
properties or archaeological sites, viewshed impacts, impacts to water 
resources, wetlands, prime farmland, sensitive biological species and 
habitat, land use compatibility impacts and impacts to agricultural 
lands.
    Alternatives: The EA will consider alternatives that include the 
No-Build (Do Nothing) Alternative as well as a full range of build 
alternatives ranging from transportation system management improvements 
to major capital investments on existing and new alignment.
    Scoping and Comment: FHWA encourages broad participation in the EA 
process and review of the resulting environmental documents. Comments, 
questions, and suggestions related to the project and potential 
socioeconomic and environmental concerns are invited from all 
interested agencies and the public at large to ensure that the full 
range of issues related to the proposed action and all reasonable 
alternatives are considered and all significant issues are identified. 
These comments, questions, and suggestions should be forwarded to the 
address listed above.
    Early Coordination Letters were sent to the appropriate Federal, 
State and local agencies on January 31, 2007, describing the proposed 
action. An invitation letter was sent to potential Participating 
Agencies inviting the agencies to be Participating Agencies in the 
study, encouraging agency comments and suggestions concerning the 
proposed project, and further defining the roles of Participating 
Agencies. Existing and future conditions and issues within the project 
area have been identified and presented to the public in a widely 
advertised Public Information Meeting held in North Vernon, Indiana, on 
Thursday, February 8, 2007. The draft purpose and need for the project 
has been developed and preliminary alternatives identified. The purpose 
and need and preliminary alternatives are currently available for 
public review and comment. A Public Information Meeting was held on 
June 26, 2007 and a Resource Agency Meeting was held on June 29, 2007. 
Agencies and the public will also have an opportunity to comment when 
the preliminary alternatives have been evaluated and screened and again 
upon identification of the preferred alternative(s).
    Notices of availability for the purpose and need and identification 
of preliminary alternatives, evaluation and screening of preliminary 
alternatives, and identification of preferred alternative(s) are being 
provided through direct mail, e-mail, the project Web site at http://www.us50northvernon.org and other media. Notification is also being 
sent to Federal, State, local agencies, persons

[[Page 35738]]

and organizations that submit comments or questions. Precise schedules 
and locations for public meetings will be announced in the local news 
media and the project Web site. Interested individuals and 
organizations may request to be included on the mailing list for 
distribution of meeting announcements and associated information.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 20.205, Highway 
Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing Executive 
Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on Federal 
programs and activities apply to the program.)

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 23 CFR 771.123; 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: June 25, 2007.
Robert F. Tally, Jr.,
Division Administrator, Indianapolis, Indiana.
[FR Doc. E7-12629 Filed 6-28-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P