[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11978-11979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5940]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement; Douglas
County, Kansas
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 we
are reopening the preparation of a supplemental document to the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for a segment of the South
Lawrence Trafficway project in Douglas County, Kansas.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David R. Geiger, P.E., FHWA Kansas
Division Administrator; Telephone: (785) 267-7287, FHWA--Kansas
Division Office, 3300 South Topeka Boulevard, Suite 1, Topeka, Kansas
66611-2237.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing
Office's Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet
users may reach the Federal Register's home page at: http://
www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's database at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.
Background
The FHWA, in cooperation with the Kansas Department of
Transportation (KDOT) and Douglas County, will recommence preparation
of a final supplement to the FEIS for a segment of the highway project
known as the South Lawrence Trafficway (SLT). The original FEIS for the
improvements (FHWA-KS-EIS-87-01-F) was approved on January 4, 1990, and
the Record of Decision was approved on June 5, 1990. The project would
be primarily on a new location and developed initially as a two lane
road. The SLT Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)
corridor begins at U.S. 59 and extends east to K-10 on the south side
of Lawrence. The western section of the SLT from the I-70/Kansas
Turnpike Authority (KTA) interchange near Lecompton, south and east to
U.S. 59, has been constructed and was opened to traffic in late 1996
(See 59 FR 52360, October 17, 1994).
The SLT is intended to provide for traffic demands and to alleviate
congestion on two primary arterial streets in the south and west
sections of the City of Lawrence, and to improve access to the
University of Kansas and Clinton Lake.
The FHWA circulated a draft supplemental EIS on October 2, 1995, to
address concerns regarding new information on the effect of the SLT on
cultural issues, spiritual sites, academic programs and future
development at Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) which was not
previously evaluated in the FEIS. A public hearing was held on November
8, 1995. Numerous comments were received on the Draft SEIS from both
the public and governmental agencies. Work to develop the Final SEIS
was initiated, but was delayed when consensus could not be reached on a
preferred alignment.
On February 27, 1997 (See 62 FR 10305, March 6, 1997), the FHWA
withdrew as the lead Federal agency due to KDOT and Douglas County
deciding not to use Federal-aid funds
[[Page 11979]]
for the project. Subsequent legal action resulted in a determination
that the SEIS must be completed before the project could proceed. Since
the approval date for the Draft SEIS was over three years old, the FHWA
completed a reevaluation of the Draft document and found that it
remains valid. Therefore, the FHWA will reinstate the process to
complete the Supplemental Environmental document process.
The FHWA has determined that a formal scoping meeting is not
necessary.
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.
David R. Geiger,
P.E., Division Administrator, Kansas Division, Federal Highway
Administration, Topeka, Kansas.
[FR Doc. 99-5940 Filed 3-9-99; 8:45 am]
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