[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 46 (Thursday, March 7, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9221-9222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5351]
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[[Page 9222]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: City of Issaquah, King County,
Washington
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 will be prepared for the Sunset
Interchange modifications and the South Sammamish Plateau Access Road
in the City of Issaquah, King County, Washington.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gene Fong, Division Administrator,
Federal Highway Administration, Evergreen Plaza Building, 711 South
Capitol Way, Suite 501, Olympia, Washington 98501, telephone (360) 753-
9413; Robert D. Aye, Acting Northwest Regional Administrator,
Washington State Department of Transportation, 15700 Dayton Ave. N., PO
Box 33310, Seattle, Washington 98133, telephone (206) 440-4693; Dave
Crippen, Supervising Environmental Engineer, King County Department of
Public Works, 400 Yesler Way, Room 400, Seattle, WA 98104-3637,
telephone (206) 296-8092; or Ann DeFee, Grand Ridge Project Manager,
Department of Public Works, City of Issaquah, PO Box 1307, Issaquah,
Washington 98107, telephone (206) 391-1004.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Washington
State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), City of Issaquah and King
County will prepare an environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for an
interchange revision at the existing East Sunset Way Interchange on
Interstate 90 (I-90). A new north-south arterial (called the South
Sammamish Plateau Access Road, or South SPAR) will connect the Sunset
Interchange to an intersection with a major east-west arterial in the
southwestern portion of the Grand Ridge Development area. The South
Spar is not expected to be a Federal project, but because its utility
is largely dependent on the interchange project, its impacts are
considered indirect impacts of the interchange project and are being
evaluated in the same document. The South SPAR would be located along
one of several alternative alignments as defined in previous
feasibility studies completed for the project. The project is sponsored
by two private developers, the Grand Ridge Ltd. partnership and the
Glacier Ridge Ltd. Partnership. The I-90 Sunset Interchange revision
would modify the existing partial interchange, which provides only a
west bound off-ramp and east bound on-ramp, to a full interchange that
provides for all traffic movements to and from I-90. The South SPAR
arterial is planned to be a multi-lane road that would provide through-
lanes, turn-lane channelization, bicycle lanes, curb, gutter, sidewalk,
stormwater management, water quality treatment, retaining walls,
bridges, landscaping, signage, lighting, and signalization.
Alternatives under consideration include: a No-Action Alternative and
at least two roadway alignment alternatives for the South SPAR, and
various ramp configurations for the interchange. Analysis will focus on
identifying impacts and mitigation measures and providing information
appropriate to choosing a preferred alternative from among the
alternatives identified through the scoping and public involvement
process. The EIS will identify direct, secondary and cumulative impacts
associated with the interchange modification and the roadway
alternatives under consideration.
The EIS will also discuss other cumulative impacts, taking into
consideration two separate but related projects which are in the
planning stage: (1) The proposed Issaquah Southeast Bypass, expected to
connect I-90, in the vicinity of the modified Sunset Interchange, to
Issaquah-Hobart Road; and (2) the proposed North Sammamish Plateau
Access Road (North SPAR), which would provide access from the proposed
South SPAR to the existing intersection of Issaquah-Pine Lake Road
Southeast and Issaquah-Fall City Road Southeast. The North SPAR is a
King County-sponsored project separate from the Sunset Interchange/
South SPAR project with its own logical termini and independent
utility. It will be addressed in a separate project-specific EIS
written in accordance with the Washington State Environmental Policy
Act (SEPA). Relevant information about various environmental issues
related to the North SPAR will be incorporated into the Sunset
Interchange/South SPAR EIS to address secondary and cumulative impacts.
A project-specific EIS has not been initiated for the Issaquah
Southeast Bypass; therefore, this section of the corridor will also be
addressed in the Sunset Interchange/South SPAR EIS in a general way in
the discussion of secondary and cumulative impacts. The overall roadway
corridor will be examined in sections with logical termini and
independent utility. The sections are: (1) ``Southeast Issaquah
Bypass'', Issaquah-Hobart Road to I-90, approximately 2.4 km (1.5
mile); (2) ``I-90 Sunset interchange modifications and South Sammamish
Plateau Access Road (South SPAR)'', I-90 to a major east-west arterial
approximately 1.6 km (1 mile) north of I-90; and (3) ``North Sammamish
Plateau Access Road (North SPAR)'', a proposed 1.3 km (0.8 mile) road
from the major arterial approximately 1.6 km (1 mile) north of I-90
continuing north to the Issaquah-Fall City Road.
The purpose of the proposed projects is to provide improved auto,
transit, bicycle, and pedestrian access to existing and future
residential and commercial developments contained in the approved City
of Issaquah and King County Comprehensive Plans. The project will
improve existing congestion along Issaquah-Fall City Road, Issaquah-
Pine Lake Road, and the Front Street interchange at I-90. Approved land
use plans indicate the area will see significant increases in
population within the near future.
Environmental issues of concern to be addressed in the EIS include
steep slopes, wetlands, air quality, fisheries resources and water
quality in local streams and Lake Sammamish. Letters describing the
proposed action and soliciting comments will be sent to appropriate
Federal, State, and local agencies, appropriate Native American tribes,
and to private organizations and citizens who have expressed, or are
known to have, an interest in this proposal. A scoping meeting is
planned to be held in March 1996. The public and all affected agencies
will be invited to attend. A public notice will be given of the time
and place of the meeting.
To assure that the full range of issues related to this proposed
action are addressed and all significant issues are identified,
comments are invited from all interested parties. Comments and
suggestions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be
directed to the FHWA at the address provided.
(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)
Issued on: February 23, 1996.
Michael R. Brower,
Urban Transportation Engineer, Olympia, WA.
[FR Doc. 96-5351 Filed 3-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M
