[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5087-5088]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1864]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; 
USH 51, IH 39/90 East of Stoughton to USH 12/18 (Madison South Beltline 
Highway) North of McFarland; Dane County, WI

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for proposed 
transportation improvements in the United States Highway (US) 51 
corridor in Dane County, Wisconsin generally between Interstate 39/90 
east of the City of Stoughton and US 12/18 (Madison South Beltline 
Highway). The EIS is being prepared in conformance with 40 CFR 1500, 
223 CFR 771, and FHWA polices.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Wisconsin 
Department of Transportation, will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) on proposed improvements to address safety, 
operational, and capacity concerns on approximately 10-miles of US 51 
between Interstate 39/90 east of the City of Stoughton to US 12/18 
(Madison South Beltline Highway), north of the Village of McFarland. 
The study will also examine a bypass in Stoughton, as well as potential 
operational improvements on existing US 51 in Stoughton. The study will 
consider improvements on highways other than US 51 that would address 
the needs of travelers between the southeast portion of Dane County and 
the Madison Urban area, as alternatives to major capacity improvements 
on US 51. The objective of this project is to address existing and 
future transportation demand and safety concerns as identified in the 
US 51 Needs Assessment Report, and to identify land that may need to be

[[Page 5088]]

preserved for future transportation improvements.
    FHWA's decision to prepare a draft EIS is based on the initial 
environmental assessment which indicates the proposed action is likely 
to have significant impacts on the environment including wetlands. The 
draft EIS will evaluate the social, economic, and environmental impacts 
of the alternatives including No Build, Transportation System 
Management (Low Build), and Full Build improvements within the existing 
US 51 highway corridor, and other Full Build improvements on other 
regional highway corridors.
    Information describing the proposed action and soliciting comments 
will be sent to appropriate Federal, State, Native American Tribes, 
local agencies, private agencies and organizations, and other parties 
who have expressed or are known to have an interest in this proposal. 
Opportunities for agencies to become participating and/or cooperating 
agencies, and to participate in project development activities, has 
been and will continue to be offered in compliance with 40 CFR 1500 and 
23 CFR 771, as well as other FHWA policies.
    During the development of the project Needs Assessment, 
coordination was conducted with State and local agencies, as well as 
extensive coordination with local officials. A Policy Advisory 
Committee consisting of local officials also met throughout the Needs 
Assessment process. A public information meeting was conducted in 2004 
to present the findings of the project Needs Assessment. A public 
workshop was later held in 2005 to solicit ideas from the public about 
improvements to address the needs identified in the Needs Assessment 
process.
    Between January 2006 and November 2011, several coordination 
meetings were held with State and Federal resource agencies, and local 
officials, to discuss Purpose and Need, other highway corridors to be 
studies, and alternatives to be evaluated. Between May 2006 and April 
2011, several public information meetings were held to obtain public 
feedback on potential alternatives and improvement concepts. WisDOT has 
used feedback from those meetings and other data to develop proposed 
improvement concepts which will be incorporated into alternatives for 
further study.
    Continued coordination with local, State, and Federal agencies and 
officials, including Native American Tribes and other interested 
parties, is planned throughout the environmental analysis process. The 
Policy Advisory Committee will continue to meet regularly during the 
EIS process.
    Public information meetings will be held while the draft EIS is 
being written and a public hearing will follow completion of the draft 
EIS to address the impacts of each alternative. Public notice will be 
given of the time and place of the public information meetings and 
public hearing. The draft EIS will be available for public and agency 
review and comment prior to the public hearing. To ensure that the full 
range of issues related to this proposed action is addressed, and all 
substantive issues are identified, comments and suggestions are invited 
from all interested parties. Comments or questions concerning this 
proposed action should be directed to FHWA or WisDOT at the addresses 
provided below.

(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.)

    This study shall comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and 
of Executive Order 12898, which prohibits discrimination on the basis 
of race, color, age, sex, or country of national origin in the 
implementation of this action. It is also Federal and State policy that 
no group of people bears the negative consequences of this action in a 
disproportionately high and adverse manner without adequate mitigation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Johnny Gerbitz, Field Operations 
Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, City Center West, 525 
Junction Road, Suite 8000, Madison, Wisconsin 53717; Telephone: (608) 
829-7500. You may also contact Mr. Daniel Scudder, Chief, Environmental 
Services Section, Bureau of Technical Services, Wisconsin Department of 
Transportation, P.O. Box 7965, Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7965: 
Telephone: (608) 267-3615.
    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded from the 
Government Printing Office's Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 
512-1661 by using a computer, modem and suitable communications 
software. Internet users may reach the Office of Federal Register's 
home page at: http://www.archives.gov/ and the Government Printing 
Office's database at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.

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

    Issued on: January 23, 2011.
Johnny M. Gerbitz,
Field Operations Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, Madison, 
Wisconsin.
[FR Doc. 2012-1864 Filed 1-31-12; 8:45 am]
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