[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 22002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8761]



[[Page 22002]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: I-70 Kansas City to 
St. Louis, MO

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a 
supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared for 
the approved I-70 First and Second Tier environmental documents. The I-
70 corridor for this Supplemental EIS is from the I-470 interchange in 
Kansas City to near the Lake St. Louis interchange in St. Louis. The 
project length is approximately 199 miles.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Peggy Casey, Environmental 
Projects Engineer, FHWA Division Office, 3220 West Edgewood, Suite H, 
Jefferson City, MO 65109, Telephone: (573) 636-7104; or Mr. Kevin 
Keith, Chief Engineer, Missouri Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 
270, Jefferson City, MO 65102, Telephone: (573) 751-2803.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Missouri 
Department of Transportation (MoDOT), will prepare a Supplemental EIS 
to consider the impacts of dedicated truck lanes. This Supplemental EIS 
will include all necessary environmental, cultural resource, social and 
economic studies and will be coordinated closely with the public, city 
and county officials, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Regional 
Planning Commissions, and resource agencies, as appropriate.
    The FHWA and MoDOT completed a First Tier EIS for the I-70 corridor 
in December, 2001. Subsequent to the First Tier, FHWA and MoDOT 
completed Second Tier environmental documents for seven sections of 
independent utility across the corridor. The Second Tier documents were 
completed in 2006. The First Tier evaluated the I-70 corridor in a 
general nature and recommended the improvement strategy of 
reconstructing and widening the existing facility. The Second Tier 
documents evaluated the environmental impacts of this strategy. The 
evaluations in these traditional environmental documents were based on 
the I-70 facility consisting of three 12-foot lanes in each direction 
with 12-foot shoulders along with a 124-foot grassed median. The only 
exceptions were in the urban areas approaching Kansas City, Columbia, 
through the Warrenton-Wright City-Wentzville area, and the area known 
as Mineola Hill.
    A study Management Group (SMG) was assembled during the First Tier 
environmental process and was continued through the Second Tier 
process. Periodic SMG progress meetings were held during the First and 
Second Tier processes with resource agency personnel, including 
representatives from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the 
Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Coordination with the 
SMG has been re-initiated for the Supplemental EIS process.
    This Supplemental EIS will begin with an evaluation and comparison 
of a truck-only strategy to the Preferred Strategy identified in the 
original EIS. If the evaluation process results in the recommendation 
of the truck-only strategy, several alternatives for implementing 
truck-only lanes will be developed and evaluated to determine which are 
reasonable and which, if any, are not. It is anticipated that truck-
only alternatives will provide four lanes of travel in each direction--
two lanes for truck and two lanes for general-purpose traffic. Also, 
there are several different methods for providing access at 
interchanges, ranging from simple merge options to more complicated 
truck/car interchanges. Interchange operations and their related 
impacts will be evaluated during the supplemental process. In addition, 
the Supplemental EIS will consider funding options for the project. The 
study will not recommend a specific option, but will look at the issues 
and challenges associated with applying these funding options.
    To date, a preliminary coordination/scoping meeting was held on 
January 29, 2008. Resource agencies from the reconvened SMG attended 
and participated in the meeting. It was agreed that existing 
coordinating and cooperating agency agreements already in place from 
the first and second tier processes will remain in effect for the 
supplemental process. Numerous opportunities for public input will be 
provided. The Improve I-70 project website will be updated to include 
the Supplemental EIS and there will be regular outreach to both the 
local and state-wide media. There will be two separate series of public 
meetings. Each will have meetings at three locations along the study 
corridor. Community advisory groups will be re-established in Columbia 
and Kingdom City. A meeting with Kingdom City was held on January 23, 
2008. Opportunities for briefing/listening sessions with key statewide 
stakeholders or groups will be provided. A formal location public 
hearing will take place at three locations along the corridor, along 
with informal two-hour drop-in centers prior to public meetings and 
hearing. Public notice will be given announcing the time and place of 
all public meetings and the hearings. The Supplemental Draft EIS will 
be available for public and agency review and comment prior to the 
public hearings.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues are identified, 
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. 
Comments and questions concerning this proposed action and the 
Supplemental EIS should be directed to the FHWA or MoDOT 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.)

    Issued on: April 17, 2008.
Peggy J. Casey,
Environmental Project Engineer, Jefferson City.
[FR Doc. E8-8761 Filed 4-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P