[Federal Register: November 5, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 213)]
[Notices]
[Page 62513-62514]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05no07-90]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: City of Council Bluffs,
Pottawattamie County, IA
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Iowa Department of
Transportation (Iowa DOT), City of Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie
County.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA and the Iowa DOT are issuing this notice to advise
the public that an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be
prepared for a proposed transportation project in Council Bluffs,
Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael LaPietra, Environment and
Realty Manager, FHWA Iowa Division Office, 105 Sixth Street, Ames, IA
50010, Phone 515-233-7302; or James
[[Page 62514]]
P. Rost, Director, Office of Location and Environment, Iowa Department
of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010, Phone 515-239-1225.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
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1262.
Access to this notice is also available to Internet users through
the Federal Register's home page at http://www.nara.gov/fedreg.
Project Background
The FHWA, in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Transportation
(Iowa DOT), the City of Council Bluffs, and Pottawattamie County, will
be preparing an EIS for the proposed East Beltway. The proposed project
includes roadway improvements between US 6/225th Street and IA 92/
Orchard Road, and improvements on the connecting roadways of Steven
Lane and Greenview Road.
Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County have developed a joint plan
(``Two Mile Limit Study'') for development and infrastructure needs
east of Council Bluffs to accommodate projected development growth in
the metropolitan area. From the Two Mile Limit Study, the East Beltway
was identified as an infrastructure need for the development area. The
proposed East Beltway will provide a north/south route east of I-80 and
provide access to existing and future development within the Little
Pony Creek drainage basin and parts of unincorporated Pottawattamie
County. The proposed project would also provide system continuity for
the Council Bluffs/Omaha area by providing a connection between US 6
and IA 92. The proposed East Beltway would relieve congestion on I-80
and the southeast I-29/I-80 systems interchange.
Potential alternatives and combinations thereof will include but
are not limited to: (1) Taking no action, i.e., the No-Build
Alternative; (2) strategies to better manage transportation demand; (3)
improving existing roadways, pedestrian walkways, and bikeways; and (4)
constructing a new roadway connection.
The build alternative will include consideration of various
alignments and grades in order to minimize potential environmental
impacts. 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 previously expressed or are
known to have interest in the proposed project.
The EIS will be initiated with a scoping process. The scoping
process will include a program of public outreach and agency
coordination that will be conducted over the next several months in
order to elicit input on the project purpose and need, potential
alternatives, significant and insignificant issues, and collaborative
methods for analyzing transportation alternatives and environmental
impacts.
As part of the scoping process, several public meetings will be
held in Council Bluffs or unincorporated Pottawattamie County, to meet
with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as private individuals
and organizations concerned with the project. In addition, a public
hearing will be held in connection with the circulation of the draft
EIS (DEIS). Public notice will be given concerning the date and
location of the public meeting(s) and public hearing.
The information gained during the scoping process will be widely
disseminated and used to guide the development of the EIS. All comments
and input received during the scoping and subsequent steps of the EIS
process will be considered and documented. Beginning with scoping,
continuous and regularly public involvement and agency coordination
will continue throughout the preparation of the EIS.
To ensure that a full range of issues are addressed in relation to
the proposed action and that all significant issues are identified, all
interested parties are invited to submit comments and suggestions.
Comments or questions concerning the proposed action and the EIS should
be directed to the FHWA or Iowa Department of Transportation at the
address provided on page one in the section titled FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
(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.)
(Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48)
Dated: October 29, 2007.
Philip E. Barnes,
Division Administrator, FHWA, Iowa Division.
[FR Doc. E7-21669 Filed 11-2-07; 8:45 am]
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