[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 31 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7504-7505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-695]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement; Dodge and Steele Counties, MN
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 an
environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared for proposed
highway improvements to United States Highway 14 (Highway 14) from the
existing four-lane bypass of Dodge Center to the intersection of
Highway 14 and Interstate 35 (I-35) in Owatonna, a distance of
approximately 19 miles, in Dodge and Steele Counties, Minnesota.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Martin, Federal Highway
Administration, Galtier Plaza, 380 Jackson Street, Suite 500, St. Paul,
Minnesota 55101, Telephone (651) 291-6120; or Richard Augustin, Project
Manager, Minnesota Department of Transportation--District 6, 2900 48th
Street, NW., Rochester, Minnesota 55901, Telephone (507) 280-5092;
(800) 627-3529 TTY.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Minnesota
Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), will prepare an EIS on a
proposal to reconstruct Highway 14 from the existing four-lane bypass
of Dodge Center, Dodge County, to the intersection of Highway 14 and I-
35 in Owatonna, Steele County, Minnesota, a distance of approximately
19 miles. The proposed action is being considered to address future
transportation demand and safety problems and to enhance system
continuity.
This segment of Highway 14 was previously included in an EIS
process, which addressed a broader 24-mile segment of Highway 14 from
Owatonna to Kasson. The Draft EIS for the Owatonna to Kasson project
was approved in October 1991 and the Final EIS was approved in August
1993. The 1993 Final EIS defined two project segments. The first was an
extension of the four-lane, divided expressway from Kasson to the west
side of Dodge Center at Highway 56 (including the Dodge Center bypass).
At the time of the EIS, this project was programmed for construction in
1994. The second segment involved extending the four lanes from Highway
56 to Highway 218 in Owatonna. This segment was not programmed for
construction when the EIS was completed. Since the 1993 Final EIS, the
Kasson to Dodge Center segment has been constructed as a four-lane
highway, including a freeway design bypass of Dodge Center. The ``1993
preferred alternative'' for the segment between Dodge Center and
Owatonna has not been constructed. With the completion of the Dodge
Center to Kasson segment, and the imminent completion of the Highway 14
improvements west of I-35, a process was started to re-evaluate the
1993 EIS conclusions regarding the Owatonna to Dodge Center segment.
This segment continues to increase in priority given traffic growth,
safety concerns, and the logic of completing the last segment of
Highway 14 between Mankato and Rochester to be expanded to a four-lane
highway. Based on a review of the 1993 EIS and the changes in
transportation needs that have taken place since 1993, it was concluded
that a new EIS for the Owatonna to Dodge Center segment should be
completed for the following reasons:
--The vision for Highway 14 has changed to a controlled access freeway
design, as opposed to the expressway design determined by the 1993 EIS,
due to overall traffic growth, safety concerns, access spacing issues,
driver expectation and increased truck traffic and,
--The previously identified preferred alternative of expanding on the
[[Page 7505]]
existing corridor rather than a new corridor parallel to the Dakota,
Minnesota & Eastern Railroad that was considered in the 1993 EIS needs
to be revisited.
The EIS will evaluate the social, economic, transportation and
environmental impacts of alternatives, including: (1) No-Build, (2)
Reconstruction on existing alignment, and (3) Construction on partial
new alignment.
The ``US 14 EIS from Owatonna to Dodge Center Scoping Document/
Draft Scoping Decision Document'' was published in November 2006. A
press release was published to inform the public of the document's
availability. Copies of the scoping document was distributed to
agencies, interested persons and libraries for review to aid in
identifying issues and analyses to be contained in the EIS. A thirty-
day comment period for review of the document was provided to afford an
opportunity for all interested persons, agencies and groups to comment
on the proposed action. A public scoping meeting was also held during
the comment period. Public notice was given for the time and place of
the meeting. The scoping comment period closed on December 22, 2006.
The ``US 14 EIS Scoping Decision Document'' is expected to be published
in February 2007. A Draft EIS will be prepared based on the outcome of
and closely following the scoping process. The Draft EIS will be
available for agency and public review and comment. In addition, a
public hearing will be held following completion of the Draft EIS.
Public Notice will be given for the time and place of the public
hearing on the Draft EIS. Coordination has been initiated and will
continue with appropriate Federal, State and local agencies and private
organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are known
to have an interest in the proposed action. ``Participating agencies''
have been identified and a meeting held on October 25, 2006 to discuss
the project and receive input on the ``purpose and need'' for the
project and range of alternatives to be studied in the Draft EIS. To
ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed action
are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments and
suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be
directed to the FHWA at the address 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: February 8, 2007
Cheryl B. Martin,
Environmental Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, St. Paul,
Minnesota.
[FR Doc. 07-695 Filed 2-14-07; 8:45 am]
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