[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 239 (Friday, December 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80216-80218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27275]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Collin County, Texas

AGENCY: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Federal Highway 
Administration (FHWA), Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Federal notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: FHWA, on behalf of TxDOT, is issuing this notice to advise the 
public that an EIS will be prepared for a proposed transportation 
project to construct an eight-lane freeway along the United States (US) 
Highway 380 corridor from Coit Road in Prosper (west of McKinney) to 
Farm-to-Market Road (FM) 1827 (east of McKinney), in Collin County, 
Texas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stephen Endres, Project Manager, 
TxDOT Dallas District, 4777 E. US Highway 80, Mesquite, Texas 75150; 
Phone (214) 320-4469 or email: at [email protected]. TxDOT's 
normal business hours are 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (central time), Monday 
through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental review, consultation, and 
other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for 
this project are being, or have been, carried-out by TxDOT pursuant to 
23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 9, 2019, 
and executed by FHWA and TxDOT.
    The purpose of the proposed project is to manage congestion and 
improve east-west connectivity and safety across the project area. The 
project is needed due to regional population growth, increasing traffic 
congestion, and crash rates higher than the statewide average. Project 
alternatives include improvement of the existing US 380 alignment (a 
distance of approximately 12 miles) and new location alternatives 
ranging in length from approximately 14.8 miles to 16.3 miles that 
would pass through the communities of Prosper, McKinney, and New Hope, 
and unincorporated areas of Collin County. The proposed project would 
provide an access-controlled freeway with one-way frontage roads on 
each side within an anticipated right-of-way width of 330 to 400 feet. 
The typical freeway section would consist of four 12-foot (ft.) travel 
lanes in each direction and 10 ft. inside and outside shoulders. Grade-
separated interchanges would include 14 ft. ramps with 2 ft. inside 
shoulders and 6 ft. outside shoulders, with curb and gutter. Bridges 
and overpasses along the main lanes would have a desired vertical 
clearance of 18.5 ft with vertical clearance over railroads desired at 
23.5 ft.
    In April 2020, TxDOT completed the US 380 Feasibility Study for 
Collin County, which recommended an alignment for an improved US 380 
across Collin County. The Coit Road to FM 1827 section of the 
Recommended Alignment from the Feasibility Study is the basis for 
development of the alternatives to be considered in the EIS. The EIS 
will evaluate a range of build alternatives and a no-build alternative. 
Possible build alternatives include improvement of the existing US 380 
alignment, the Recommended Alignment between Coit Road and FM 1827 from 
the 2020 US 380 Feasibility Study, and three additional new location 
alternatives that consider optional alignments through the Town of 
Prosper within the western portion of the project area and along the 
East Fork of the Trinity River within the eastern portion of the 
project area. The following 5 segments combine to form the new location 
build alternatives under consideration.
    Segment A connects Coit Road on the west and the future Ridge Road 
and Bloomdale Road intersection on the east. This segment follows 
existing US 380 from Coit Road to near the approximate alignment of 
future Ridge Road where it turns north and connects to Bloomdale Road. 
Segment A was a component of the Feasibility Study Recommended 
Alignment.
    Segment B also connects Coit Road on the west and the future Ridge 
Road and Bloomdale Road intersection to the east.

[[Page 80217]]

This segment follows existing US 380 from Coit Road to west of Custer 
Road (FM 2478) where it turns northeast to intersect with Custer Road 
and East First Street, then continues northeast to connect to Bloomdale 
Road at the future extension of Ridge Road.
    Segment C begins at State Highway (SH) 5 extending in a 
southeasterly direction across the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) 
rail line and the East Fork of the Trinity River, then shifts to a more 
southerly direction east of and parallel to the East Fork of the 
Trinity River to connect to existing US 380 near FM 1827.
    Segment D also begins at SH 5 extending in a southerly direction 
across the DART rail line and the East Fork of the Trinity River and 
continues in a southerly direction west of and parallel to the East 
Fork of the Trinity River connecting to US 380 near Airport Drive, and 
following existing US 380 to the east to FM 1827. Segment D was a 
component of the Feasibility Study Recommended Alignment.
    Segment E extends roughly along the alignment of existing Bloomdale 
Road through north McKinney beginning at the proposed intersection of 
Ridge Road and Bloomdale Road on the west and SH 5 on the east. This 
segment includes a new interchange connection with US 75 and SH 5. The 
location of Segment E is constrained by existing development and 
existing and proposed utilities along Bloomdale Road. Segment E was a 
component of the Feasibility Study Recommended Alignment and is a 
common segment in all the new location build alternatives.
    These segments, when linked end-to-end between Coit Road and FM 
1827, result in the Purple, Blue, Brown, and Gold Alternatives 
described below. The Green Alternative to improve the existing US 380 
alignment is composed of one segment (Segment F) extending from Coit 
Road to FM 1827 along existing US 380.
    The Purple Alternative is composed of Segments A, E, and D and is 
approximately 15.8 miles long. It represents the section of the 
Recommended Alignment from the 2020 Feasibility Study between Coit Road 
and FM 1827. The Purple Alternative begins at the intersection of Coit 
Road and US 380 in the Town of Prosper and travels around the north 
side of McKinney turning south near US 75 and SH 5 to extend along the 
west side of the East Fork of the Trinity River to connect back to 
existing US 380 and FM 1827. Grade-separated interchanges would be 
considered at US 380/Coit Road, the alignment's departure from existing 
US 380 at future Ridge Road, Wilmeth Road, Ridge Road (McKinney city 
limits/Collin County line), Lake Forest Drive, County Road (CR) 1006, 
future Hardin Road (McKinney city limits), Laud Howell development, US 
75 (multi-level), SH 5, McIntyre Road, and at its connection back to US 
380 near Airport Drive west of FM 1827. Additional interchange 
locations may be studied.
    The Blue Alternative is composed of Segments A, E, and C and is 
approximately 15.6 miles long. The Blue Alternative differs from the 
Purple Alternative between US 75/SH 5 and existing US 380 east of 
McKinney where the alignment follows that of Segment C parallel to and 
east of the East Fork of the Trinity River. The alignment would connect 
back to existing US 380 near FM 1827. Grade-separated interchanges 
would be considered at US 380/Coit Road, the alignment's departure from 
existing US 380 at future Ridge Road, Wilmeth Road, Ridge Road 
(McKinney city limits/Collin County line), Lake Forest Drive, CR 1006, 
future Hardin Road (McKinney city limits), Laud Howell development, US 
75 (multi-level), SH 5, CR 338, CR 2933, and at its connection back to 
US 380 near FM 1827. Additional interchange locations may be studied.
    The Brown Alternative, approximately 14.8 miles long, is composed 
of Segments B, E, and C. It begins at Coit Road and existing US 380 and 
follows the existing US 380 alignment to west of Custer Road where it 
turns north and east to travel around the north side of McKinney, 
connect to US 75/SH 5, and then follows the alignment east of and 
parallel to the East Fork of the Trinity River to connect to existing 
US 380 near FM 1827. The Brown Alternative differs from the Blue 
Alternative in the alignment from Coit Road to the future intersection 
of Ridge Road and Bloomdale Road (Segment B). Grade-separated 
interchanges would be considered at the alignment's departure from 
existing US 380 west of Custer Road, at Custer Road/First St., future 
Wilmeth Road, future N. Stonebridge Drive, Ridge Road (McKinney city 
limits/Collin County line), Lake Forest Drive, CR 1006, future Hardin 
Road (McKinney city limits), Laud Howell development, US 75 (multi-
level), SH 5, CR 338, CR 2933, and at its connection back to US 380 
near FM 1827. Additional interchange locations may be studied.
    The Gold Alternative, composed of Segments B, D, and E, is 
approximately 16.3 miles long and matches the Brown Alternative between 
Coit Road and US 75/SH 5 where it turns south along the west side of 
the East Fork of the Trinity River to connect to existing US 380 near 
Airport Drive and then follows the exiting US 380 alignment east to FM 
1827. Grade-separated interchanges would be considered at the 
alignment's departure from existing US 380 west of Custer Road, at 
Custer Road/First St., future Wilmeth Road, future N. Stonebridge 
Drive, Ridge Road (McKinney city limits/Collin County line), Lake 
Forest Drive, CR 1006, future Hardin Road (McKinney city limits), Laud 
Howell development, US 75 (multi-level), SH 5, McIntyre Road, and at 
its connection back to US 380 near Airport Drive west of FM 1827. 
Additional interchange locations may be studied.
    The Green Alternative (Segment F) would widen the existing US 380 
corridor from Coit Road to FM 1827. Grade-separated interchanges would 
be provided at Coit Road, Custer Road, Stonebridge Drive, Grassmere 
Lane, Ridge Road, Lake Forest Road, Hardin Road, Community Ave., US 75, 
SH 5, Airport Drive, and FM 1827.
    The new location build alternatives share some common alignments, 
with potential impacts to wetlands and waters of the US, floodplain/
floodway encroachment and need for compensatory storage, conversion of 
farmland to transportation use, residential and business displacements, 
cultural resources, wildlife/habitat, air quality, traffic noise, the 
visual environment, induced growth, and cumulative effects. The Green 
Alternative would result in potential residential and business 
displacements, including low-income and minority residents, and impacts 
to potential historic properties, community facilities, public parks 
(Section 4(f)), air quality, traffic noise, property access, the visual 
environment, and cumulative effects.
    The proposed action may require issuance of an Individual or 
Nationwide Permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 401 
Water Quality Certification, Section 402/Texas Pollution Discharge 
Elimination System Permit; conformance with Executive Orders on 
Environmental Justice (12898), Limited English Proficiency (13166), 
Wetlands (11990), Floodplain Management (11988), Invasive Species 
(13112); and compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the 
Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Section 4(f) of the DOT Act (49 U.S.C. 303), 
Section 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4601), 
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and other applicable Federal and 
State regulations.

[[Page 80218]]

    TxDOT anticipates completing the study process for this proposed 
action by December 2022.
    TxDOT will issue a single Final Environmental Impact Statement and 
Record of Decision document pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 139(n)(2), unless 
TxDOT determines statutory criteria or practicability considerations 
preclude issuance of a combined document.
    In accordance with 23 U.S.C. 139, cooperating agencies, 
participating agencies, and the public will be given an opportunity for 
continued input on project development. A virtual public scoping 
meeting is planned to be held on January 19, 2021. The meeting 
materials will be posted on http://www.drive380.com starting January 
19, 2021, and will remain available through February 2, 2021, which is 
the date the comment period ends. The meeting will be hosted online and 
provide an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the 
draft coordination plan and schedule, the project purpose and need, the 
range of alternatives, and methodologies and level of detail for 
analyzing alternatives. It will also allow the public an opportunity to 
provide input on any expected environmental impacts, anticipated 
permits or other authorizations, and any significant issues that should 
be analyzed in depth in the EIS. In addition to the public scoping 
meeting, a public meeting will be held during development of the draft 
EIS, and a public hearing will be held after the draft EIS is prepared. 
Public notice will be given of the time and place of the meeting and 
hearing.
    The public scoping meeting, public meeting, and public hearing will 
be conducted in English. If you need an interpreter or document 
translator because English is not your primary language or you have 
difficulty communicating effectively in English, one will be provided 
to you. If you have a disability and need assistance, special 
arrangements can be made to accommodate most needs. If you need 
interpretation or translation services or you are a person with a 
disability who requires an accommodation to participate in the public 
scoping meeting, please contact Mr. Patrick Clarke, Public Information 
Officer, Dallas District at (214) 320-4483 no later than 4 p.m. 
(central time), on January 14, 2021. Please be aware that advance 
notice is required as some services and accommodations may require time 
for the Texas Department of Transportation to arrange.
    The public is requested to identify in writing potential 
alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to this proposed 
project. Such information may be provided by email to Mr. Stephen 
Endres, TxDOT Project Manager at [email protected], or by mail 
to the TxDOT Dallas District, 4777 E. US Highway 80, Mesquite, Texas 
75150. Such information must be received by February 2, 2021.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Planning and Construction.)

Michael T. Leary,
Director, Planning and Program Development, Federal Highway 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-27275 Filed 12-10-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P