[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 91 (Friday, May 9, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26466-26467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10231]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Wayne County, Michigan

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of 30-day extension of the comment period for the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DETS) for the Detroit River 
International Crossing Study.

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SUMMARY: FHWA is providing a 30-day extension of the original 60-day 
public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) for the Detroit River International Crossing Study (in Wayne 
County, Michigan). Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, the FHWA made the DEIS available for public review and 
comments for a 60-day comment period that ended April 29, 2008. Two 
public hearings were held in March 2008. In response to several 
comments about the projects complexity and magnitude, FHWA is extending 
the comment period for an additional 30 days.

DATES: Public comments are due May 29, 2008.
    The DEIS is available for an additional 30-day public review 
period. Comments must be e-mailed, faxed, or postmarked on or before 
May 29, 2008. A copy of the complete transcript, including all of the 
written and recorded oral comments received, will be available for 
public review at the listed locations. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses and from individuals identifying themselves 
as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses will be 
made available for public disclosures in their entirety.

ADDRESSES: 1. Document Availability: The document was made available to 
the public on February 25, 2008. Copies of the DEIS are available for 
public inspection and review on the project Web site http://www.partnershipborderstudy.com and at the following locations:

MDOT Bureau of Transportation Planning, 425 Ottawa St., Lansing;
MDOT Metro Region Office, 18101 W. Nine Mile Rd., Southfield;
MDOT Detroit Transportation Service Center, 1400 Howard St., Detroit;
MDOT Taylor Transportation Service Center, 25185 Goddard, Taylor;
Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave., Detroit;
Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Ave., Detroit;
Bowen Branch of the Detroit Public Library, 3648 W. Vernor, Detroit;
Library at Southwestern High School, 6921 W. Fort St., Detroit;
Delray Recreation Center, 420 Leigh St., Detroit;
Allen Park Library, 8100 Allen Rd., Allen Park;

[[Page 26467]]

Ecorse Library, 4184 W. Jefferson Ave., Ecorse;
Melvindale Library, 18650 Allen Rd., Melvindale;
River Rouge Library, 221 Burke St., River Rouge;
Kemeny Recreation Center, 2260 S. Fort St., Detroit;
Campbell Brand Library, 8733 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit;
Neighborhood City Hall Central District, 2 Woodward Ave., Detroit;
Neighborhood City Hall Northwestern District, 19180 Grand River Ave., 
Detroit;
Neighborhood City Hall Northeastern District, 2328 E. Seven Mile Rd., 
Detroit;
Neighborhood City Hall Western District, 18100 Meyers Road, Detroit;
Neighborhood City Hall Eastern District, 7737 Kercheval St., Detroit;
Neighborhood City Hall Southwestern District, 7744 W. Vernor St., 
Detroit.

Copies of the DEIS may be requested from Bob Parsons (Public 
Involvement and Hearings Officer) at the Michigan Department of 
Transportation, 425 W. Ottawa Street, P.O. Box 30050, Lansing, MI 48909 
or by calling (517) 373-9534.
    2. Comments: Send comments on the DEIS to Michigan Department of 
Transportation, c/o Bob Parsons (Public Involvement and Hearings 
Officer), 425 W. Ottawa Street, P.O. Box 30050, Lansing, MI 48909; Fax: 
(517) 373-9255; or e-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Rizzo, Major Project Manager, 
FHWA Michigan Division, (517) 702-1833; David Williams, Environmental 
Program Manager, FHWA Michigan Division, (517) 702-1820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Detroit River International Crossing 
(DRIC) Study is a bi-national effort to complete the environmental 
study processes related to a new international crossing between 
Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan. The Border Transportation 
Partnership (The Partnership) leads this study. It is formed of the 
following agencies: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Michigan 
Department of Transportation (MDOT), Transport Canada (TC) and Ontario 
Ministry of Transportation (MTO). The DRIC Study identifies solutions 
that support the region, State, provincial and national economies while 
addressing the civil and national defense and homeland security needs 
of the busiest trade corridor between the United States and Canada. The 
Detroit River, which separates the U.S. and Canada, currently has 
border crossings at the Ambassador Bridge (four lanes), the Detroit-
Windsor Tunnel (two lanes), the Detroit-Canada Rail Tunnels, and the 
Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry. These multi modal transportation links 
provide the connections for freight and passenger movements between the 
two countries. The DRIC Study includes transportation alternatives that 
improve border-crossing facilities, operations, and connections to meet 
existing and future mobility and security needs.
    Purpose and Need for the Project: The purpose of the DRIC Study is 
to provide safe, efficient and secure movement of people and goods 
across the U.S.-Canadian border in the Detroit River area to support 
the economies of Michigan, Ontario, Canada and the United States, and 
to support the mobility needs of national and civil defense to protect 
the homeland.
    To address future border crossing mobility requirements through 
2035, there is a need to:

--Provide new border-crossing capacity to meet increased long-term 
demand;
--Improve system connectivity to enhance the seamless flow of people 
and goods;
--Improve operations and processing capability in accommodating the 
flow of people and goods; and
--Provide reasonable and secure crossing options (i.e., redundancy) in 
the event of incidents, maintenance, congestion, or other disruptions.

    Alternatives Evaluated: The DEIS evaluates nine Build Alternatives 
in addition to a No Build Alternative. The nine Build Alternatives each 
include an interchange plaza, a customs inspection plaza, and a bridge 
from the plaza that spans the Detroit River. The DEIS analyzes the 
issues/impacts on the United State's side of the proposed new border 
crossing. A Canadian-produced set of documents analyzes the issues/
impacts on the Canadian side.
    The No-Build Alternative would not result in a new international 
border crossing system in the Detroit-Windsor area. Only the existing 
crossings, plazas and freeway connections, including the Gateway 
connection currently under construction, would continue operations. A 
second privately-owned bridge has been proposed by the Detroit 
International Bridge Company in the Ambassador Bridge Enhancement 
Environmental Assessment and was included in the No-Build Alternative.

    Issued on: April 29, 2008.
James J. Steel,
Division Administrator, Lansing, Michigan.
 [FR Doc. E8-10231 Filed 5-8-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M