[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8808-8809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3404]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement: Clark County, 
Indiana, and Jefferson County, KY

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a 
supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) will be prepared for 
the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges (Project) in Clark 
County, Indiana and Jefferson County, Kentucky.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Duane Thomas, Project Manager, 
Federal Highway Administration, John C. Watts Federal Building 330 West 
Broadway Frankfort, KY 40601, Telephone: (502) 223-6720, e-mail: 
[email protected] or Mr. Gary Valentine, Project Manager, Kentucky 
Transportation Cabinet, 8310 Westport Road, Louisville, KY 40242, 
Telephone: (502) 210-5453, e-mail: [email protected] or Mr. Paul 
Boone, Project Manager, Indiana Department of Transportation, 5701 
Highway U.S. 31, Clarksville, IN 47129, Telephone: (812) 282-7493 
ext.224, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that FHWA, in 
cooperation with the Project Sponsors, the Indiana Department of 
Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, will prepare an 
SEIS to examine the impacts of a proposal by the Project Sponsors to 
modify the Selected Alternative. The SEIS will be prepared in 
accordance with all applicable requirements of Section 6002 of SAFETEA-
LU, codified at 23 U.S.C. 139. The proposed modification includes 
revising several design elements and using innovative financing 
sources, including collecting tolls.
    A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Section 4(f) 
Evaluation was issued for the Project on April 8, 2003. The FEIS/
Section 4(f) Evaluation examined four major project alternatives and a 
number of sub-alternatives in detail. On September 6, 2003, FHWA issued 
a Record of Decision (ROD) identifying the Selected Alternative and the 
reasons for its selection. The Selected Alternative consists of a new 
northbound I-65 bridge just east of the existing Kennedy Bridge (I-65); 
an East End bridge approximately eight miles from downtown Louisville 
connecting the Gene Snyder Freeway (KY 841) to the Lee Hamilton Highway 
(IN 265); and an adjacent rebuild of the Kennedy Interchange where I-
64, I-65 and I-71 converge in downtown Louisville. The FEIS/Section 
4(f) Evaluation and ROD are available for review by contacting the FHWA 
or any of the Project Sponsors at the addresses provided above. In 
addition, the ROD can be viewed electronically and/or downloaded from 
the Project Web site at http://www.kyinbridges.com/project/history.aspx.
    Since the issuance of the ROD, the Project Sponsors have taken 
several major steps to advance the Project towards construction: a 
general engineering consultant was retained; a bridge type selection 
process was conducted; engineering design and right-of-way acquisition 
activities began; the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority 
was created for the development, design, financing, construction, 
operation and oversight of the Project, and an update to the major 
project finance plan was completed. The Project Sponsors now propose to 
evaluate the environmental impacts of revising several elements of the 
Selected Alternative. Although the modifications are expected to reduce 
the environmental impacts of the Project, an SEIS is being prepared 
because the changes have the potential to result in significant 
environmental impacts that were not evaluated in the FEIS. In addition 
to updating the FEIS/Section 4(f) Evaluation, FHWA expects the SEIS to 
examine design changes and their potential impacts such as:
    (1) Rebuilding the Kennedy Interchange within the existing location 
rather than reconstructing it adjacent to the existing location;
    (2) Reducing the East End bridge, roadway and tunnel from six lanes 
to four lanes, with a possible option to add two lanes later if future 
traffic demand warrants;
    (3) Removing the proposed pedestrian and bike path from the design 
for the new northbound I-65 bridge, as a result of a separate proposal 
to meet the same need by constructing a pedestrian walkway and bike 
path on the Big Four Bridge;
    (4) Collecting tolls linked to the Project's improvements in cross-
river mobility from the reconfigured Kennedy Bridge and the new 
northbound I-65 bridge in downtown and from the new East End bridge, 
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 129 or other applicable law.
    The SEIS will build upon and incorporate the work already completed 
as part of the project development process. Specifically, the SEIS will 
consider whether the Modified Selected Alternative would increase or 
decrease the expected direct, secondary, cumulative and temporary 
impacts to the environment within the Project Area, including social 
and economic concerns, agricultural impacts, historic and 
archaeological resource impacts, air quality impacts, noise impacts, 
vibration impacts, natural resources impacts, water resources impacts, 
floodplain impacts, wetland impacts, visual and aesthetic impacts, and 
hazardous substances concerns. The SEIS will address the requirements 
of all environmental laws, regulations and Executive Orders that would 
be applicable to the FHWA's approval of a Modified Selected 
Alternative.
    The SEIS study process will include an invitation letter sent to 
potential Cooperating Agencies, Participating Agencies, and Section 106 
Consulting Parties inviting the agencies to officially take part in the 
SEIS study, encouraging agency comments and suggestions concerning the 
SEIS, and further defining the roles of agencies in the study. One or 
more public workshops will be held to solicit public input into the 
development of the Modified Selected Alternative. In addition, a formal 
comment period for the public and agencies will be provided following 
the publication of the draft SEIS. The comments received will be 
responded to in the final SEIS. Notices of availability for the draft 
and final SEISs will be provided through direct mail, the Federal 
Register and other media. Notification also will be sent to Federal, 
State, local agencies, persons, and organizations that submit comments 
or questions. Precise schedules and locations for the public workshops 
will be announced in the local news media and on the Project Web site, 
http://www.kyinbridges.com/. Interested individuals and organizations 
may request to be included on the mailing list for the distribution of 
announcements and associated information.
    Other Approvals for Federal Permits: The following approvals for 
Federal permits are anticipated to be required: The Navigational Permit 
Application from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Section 404 Permit from 
the Army Corps of Engineers. Additionally,

[[Page 8809]]

Section 401 Permits may be required from the Kentucky Energy and 
Environment Cabinet and the Indiana Department of Environmental 
Management. Other State and local permits may also be required.
    Comments or questions concerning this Notice should be directed to 
the FHWA and to the Project Sponsors 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: February 9, 2011.
Jose Sepulveda,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Frankfort, 
Kentucky.
[FR Doc. 2011-3404 Filed 2-14-11; 8:45 am]
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