[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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