[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16887-16888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8948]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: San Mateo County, California
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to supplement a final environmental impact
statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a
supplement to a final environmental impact statement will be prepared
for a proposed highway project in San Mateo County, California.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John R. Schultz, Chief, District
Operations-North, Federal Highway Administration, 980 Ninth Street,
Suite 400, Sacramento, California 95814-2724; Telephone: (916) 498-
5041.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans), will prepare a supplement to
the final environmental impact statement (EIS) on a proposal to improve
State Route (SR) 1 in San Mateo County, California. The original final
EIS for the improvements (FHWA-CA-EIS-83-14-F) was approved on April
16, 1986. The project study limits of alternatives considered in the
final EIS extended from Half Moon Bay Airport, between Moss Beach and
El Granada, on the south to Linda Mar Boulevard in Pacifica on the
north, a distance of approximately 11.3 km (7 miles).
The preferred alternative, identified in the final EIS and selected
in the Record of Decision signed on May 30, 1986, is known as the
Martini Creek alignment alternative. From the southern end, this
alternative begins north of the southern project study limit on SR 1,
0.2 km (0.1 mile) north of Montara near the Chart House Restaurant.
From there it swings inland, crosses Martini Creek, curves seaward
(west) and then northeasterly, proceeds over the San Pedro Mountain
saddle and down into the City of Pacifica where it rejoins SR 1 at
Linda Mar Boulevard. The proposed project is a two-land, controlled
access facility; however, since the entire project on both sides of the
summit exceeds six percent, the project design includes an uphill slow
vehicle lane in each direction. The proposed project is approximately
7.2 km (4.5 miles) in length.
Litigation regarding the project was commenced in U.S. District
Court in the Northern District of California in June 1986 (Sierra Club,
et al. v. United States Department of Transportation, et al., Civ. No.
86-3384 DLJ). The project has been enjoined since September 1986, prior
to the commencement of any construction. Ultimately, the District Court
found that the final EIS was inadequate only in its discussion and
analysis of noise impacts and required a re-analysis of those impacts,
as set forth in the Court's Orders of April 3, 1989, and April 2, 1990.
Thereafter, in 1995, FHWA and Caltrans prepared a limited supplemental
EIS for the purpose of addressing the noise impact analysis
deficiencies in the final EIS, as determined in the litigation.
Based on public comments received, the August 10, 1995 Record of
Decision regarding the supplemental EIS included a commitment by the
FHWA to address the issue of a tunnel alternative in the reevaluation
of the 1986 final EIS. A tunnel alternative was considered earlier in
the project development process, but has been withdrawn from active
consideration prior to the issuance of the draft EIS that was the basis
for the 1986 final EIS. The reevaluation was to be undertaken since
major steps to advance the project had not occurred within three years
after the approval of the final EIS. 23 CFR 771.129(b). The intent of
the reevaluation of the final EIS was to determine whether or not new
information or circumstances relevant to environmental concerns and
bearing on the proposed project or its impacts would result in
significant environmental impacts not evaluated in the final EIS. 23
CFR 771.130(a)(2).
In response to requests from local agencies and the public,
Caltrans hired an independent consulting firm to conduct a tunnel
feasibility study. Based upon the results of the tunnel feasibility
report issued in October 1996, and the updated cost estimates for the
revised highway bypass alternative (now $117 million), FHWA and
Caltrans have determined that a tunnel alternative is a reasonable
alternative for the proposed project that should be fully evaluated in
the environmental process. Therefore, a second supplement to the 1986
final EIS will be prepared and will include an analysis of both the
updated Martini Creek bypass alternative and a tunnel alternative.
Since the purpose of a reevaluation is to determine whether or not the
original EIS remains valid, FHWA's decision to prepare a full
supplemental EIS (as compared with the 1995 supplemental EIS which was
of limited scope) means that a reevaluation of the 1986 final EIS is no
longer necessary.
[[Page 16888]]
In the meantime, on November 5, 1996, the voters of San Mateo
County passed the Devil's Slide Tunnel Initiative known as Measure T.
Passage of the Measure initiated the process to amend the County's land
use plan portion of the San Mateo County certified Local Coastal
Program (LCP) to provide a tunnel for motorized vehicles only behind
Devil's Slide through San Pedro Mountain as the preferred alternative
for Highway 1 around Devil's Slide, and to delete references to a two-
lane bypass along the Martini Creek alignment. The Initiative required
that the tunnel be designed consistent with restricting Route 1 to a 2-
lane scenic highway using minimum state and federal tunnel standards,
and that a separate trail for pedestrians and bicycles be provided
outside the tunnel. The Measure also requires voter approval of any
other alternative to the tunnel, except repair of the existing highway.
On January 9, 1997, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously
to certify the LCP amendment as submitted by the County.
The proposed tunnel alternative is a 1,219 m (4,000-foot) long,
double bore facility with one lane in each direction. The north
approach road is about 457 m (1,500 feet) long, and the south approach
road is about 305 m (1,000 feet) long. Proceeding south from Pacifica,
the alignment departs from existing Route 1 along a 7% uphill grade,
crosses the valley at Shamrock Ranch, passes through a small ravine,
enters the tunnel beneath San Pedro Mountain, and exits the tunnel just
south of the Devil's Slide area where it rejoins the existing highway.
Two tunnel design variations, a 9.1 m (30-foot) wide tunnel
(variation A), and an 11.0 m 36-foot) wide tunnel (variation B), will
be analyzed in the SEIS/EIR. The total project costs of tunnel
variations A and B are estimated to be $125,950,000 and $130,294,000,
respectively. Tunnel variation B allows pedestrian and bicycle access
inside the tunnel, while variation A provides a pedestrian/bicycle path
outside the tunnel. Even though tunnel variation B is not consistent
with the County's recently revised LCP, this design must be considered
until an economically and environmentally feasible bicycle/pedestrian
path alignment outside the tunnel (variation A) has been established
through the environmental process. Until such time, variation B will be
analyzed as a viable option that retains bicycle and pedestrian
continuity along Route 1.
Letters describing this proposed action and soliciting comments
will be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to
private organizations and individuals that have previously expressed,
or are known to have, an interest in this proposal. In addition, two
formal public hearings will be held on the draft supplemental EIS; one
in Half Moon Bay, and one in Pacifica. Public notice will be given of
the exact time and place of the hearings. The draft supplemental EIS
will be available for public and agency review and comment prior to the
public hearings.
To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed
action are addressed and that all significant issues are identified,
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties.
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the
supplemental EIS should be directed to the 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 intergovernmental
consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this
program)
Issued on: April 1, 1997.
G.P. Bill Wong,
Senior Transportation Engineer, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 97-8948 Filed 4-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M
