[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46223-46224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-21955]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement; Henry, Lucas, Wood, and Fulton
Counties, Ohio
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 a proposed highway
project in Henry, Lucas, Wood, and Fulton Counties, Ohio.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Dan Dobson, Field Operations
Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 200 N. High Street, Room 328,
Columbus, Ohio 43215, Telephone: (614) 280-6853.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Ohio
Department of Transportation, will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for a proposal to improve transportation in the U.S. 24
corridor, from Napoleon to Toledo, in Henry, Lucas, Wood, and Fulton
Counties, Ohio. The existing U.S. 24 facility is 25.3 miles in length
within the study area. The study area extends generally from the
eastern limits of the city of Napoleon in Henry County eastward through
Lucas County to I-475
[[Page 46224]]
in the Toledo metropolitan area, and includes the extreme southeastern
corner of Fulton County, and that portion of Wood County bounded
generally by State Route 582 on the south, I-75 on the east, and I-475
on the north. At the western terminus near Napoleon, U.S. 24 is a four-
lane, limited-access, divided highway for the first 0.5 miles, where it
tapers to a two-lane section, just east of the TR 10 intersection. The
two-lane section continues for the next 22.2 miles, until it crosses
Dutch Road, just east of Waterville. There, it widens again to a four-
lane, limited-access, divided highway for the last 2.6 miles.
This project is part of the ``Fort to Port'' corridor, identified
in the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) as
one of 21 High Priority Corridors on the National Highway System.
Further, in its statewide long-range transportation plan, the State of
Ohio identified the U.S. 24 corridor, from the Indiana state line to
Toledo, as a ``macro-corridor,'' defined as ``those corridors of
statewide significance upon which rests the economic vitality of
Ohio.'' At the eastern terminus, the city of Toledo is an
internationally significant intermodal hub. Efficient connections to
the Port of Toledo, the Toledo Express Airport, and the I-75/I-80/I-90
highway system are critical to the economic future of northwestern Ohio
and northeastern Indiana.
A feasibility study was previously conducted within the Fort to
Port corridor to evaluate the deficiencies of the existing route,
create a program and schedule for the plan development process, develop
a capital cost estimate for improvement, and summarize the impact of
the proposed improvements on the regional economy. The study divided
the 81-mile Fort to Port corridor into three planning sections for
study. Each planning section is independent of the other two. Based
principally on existing and projected traffic volumes, resulting
capacity problems, accident rates, and increased truck traffic, the
section of U.S. 24 that is the subject of this EIS, from Napoleon to
Toledo, was made the first priority for development.
Alternatives will be developed that will address capacity, level of
service, and safety deficiencies. It is expected that alternative
solutions may consist of different alignments that diverge
significantly from the existing corridor in some sections. The
alternatives may also include improving and widening the existing
roadway.
FHWA, ODOT, and other local agencies invite participation in
defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS, and any
significant social, economic, or environmental issues related to the
alternatives. Information describing the purpose of the project, the
proposed alternatives, the areas to be evaluated, the citizen
involvement program, and the preliminary project schedule are available
on the project's web site (http://www.usrt24.com).
Coordination with concerned federal, state, and local agencies will
be conducted at four established concurrence points in ODOT's
preliminary development process. The first public meetings will be held
June 2 and 3, 1999.
Coordination will be continued throughout the study with federal,
state, and local agencies, and with private organizations and citizens
who express or are known to have interest in this proposal. The draft
EIS will be available for public and agency review and comment prior to
the official public hearing. To ensure that the full range of issues
relating to this proposed action are 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 sent to the FHWA at the address provided
above.
(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.)
Issued on: August 18, 1999.
Mr. Dan Dobson,
Field Operations Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, Columbus,
Ohio.
[FR Doc. 99-21955 Filed 8-23-99; 8:45 am]
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