[Federal Register: August 17, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 159)]
[Notices]
[Page 46260]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17au07-100]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement; Collier County, FL
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 a proposed
highway project in Collier County, Florida.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: BSB Murthy, Transportation Engineer,
Federal Highway Administration, 545 John Knox Road, Suite 200,
Tallahassee, Florida 32303, Telephone 850-942-9650.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Florida
Department of Transportation, will prepare an EIS for a proposal to
connect the proposed State Road (SR) 29 in Collier County, Florida. The
proposed roadway improvement will consist of increasing capacity on SR
29 between Oil Well Road and SR 82, a distance of approximately 17
miles. The proposed project involves evaluating the widening of the
existing two-lane undivided segment of SR 29 to four lanes, as well as
the study of an alternative route that bypasses downtown Immokalee.
The expansion of SR 29 between Oil Well Road and SR 82 is
identified as a needs project within the Collier County Metropolitan
Organization (MPO) 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and is
consistent with Collier County's adopted Growth Management Plan. This
capacity improvement is intended to accommodate travel demand generated
by population and employment growth, as well as approved development in
the project study area. In addition, this improvement is anticipated to
enhance emergency evacuation capacity and traffic circulation. This
enhancement will improve the circulation of goods, as SR 29 serves as a
key intrastate freight corridor providing access to local agriculture
and ranching operations, as well as to freight activity centers located
in central Florida and populated coastal areas.
Alternatives under consideration include (1) Taking no action; (2)
widen existing SR 29 from two to four lanes beginning at Oil Well Road
and ending at SR 82, and (3) a new alignment within the project study
area that bypasses downtown Immokalee.
Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to
private organizations and citizens who have expressed interest in this
proposal.
A series of public meetings and a public hearing are planned in
Collier County between December 2007 and January 2010. Public notice
will be given of the time and place of the meetings and hearing. The
Draft EIS will be made available for public and agency review and
comment. Two sets of formal scoping meetings are planned between
November 2007 and December 2008 that will involve affected government
agencies, interested groups, and the public. One set of meetings will
address purpose and need, and the second set will address alternatives
selection.
To ensure that the full range of issues related to the proposed
action is 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 FHWA at the address provided above.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding inter-governmental
consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this
program.)
Issued on: August 7, 2007.
James Christian,
Assistant Division Director, Tallahassee, Florida.
[FR Doc. 07-4017 Filed 8-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M