02-11524. Ballard, Marshall, and McCracken Counties in Kentucky and Cape Girardeau and Mississippi Counties in Missouri; Notice of Planning Study

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice of planning study.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is initiating a planning study for the following proposed highway project. “Evaluation of Options for the Location of I-66 from Missouri to I-24 near Paducah, Kentucky.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Evan J. Wisniewski, Project Development Team Leader, Federal Highway Administration, 330 West Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601, Telephone: [phone] or Ms. Annette Coffey, Director, Division of Planning, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, 125 Holmes Street, Frankfort, KY 40622, Telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded by using a computer, modem and suitable communications software from the Government Printing Office's Electronic Bulletin Board Service [phone]. Internet users may reach the Office of the Federal Register's home page at http://www.nara.gov/​fedreg and the Government Printing Office's Web page at http://www.access.gpo.gov.nara.

Background

This project is part of a proposed Transamerica Transportation Corridor fro the Atlantic Coast of Virginia to the Pacific Coast in California, in accordance with the legislative intent of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 and subsequent Federal transportation legislation. This highway is to pass through southern Kentucky and will generally be within a 50 mile wide band centered on the cities of Pikeville, Jenkins, Hazard, London, Somerset, Columbia, Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, Benton, and Paducah. The planning study will address alternatives and issues related to the development of an interstate highway that would provide continuity of I-66 between I-24 in Kentucky and Missouri and improve accessibility throughout the region.

During the development of this planning study, comments will be solicited from appropriate Federal, state, and local agencies, as well as other interested persons and the general public, in accordance with requirements set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and subsequent Federal regulations and guidelines developed by the Executive Office of the President's Council on Environmental Quality and the United States Department of Transportation for the implementation of the NEPA process.

This planning study will include a scoping process for the early identification of potential alternatives for, and environmental issues and impacts related to, the proposed project. At this time, the level of environmental documentation that will ultimately be prepared is not known. However, if an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is prepared for the proposed project in the future, the information gained through the scoping process in this planning study may be used as input to the scoping process for the development of that EIS. If an EIS is prepared in the future, written comments on the scope of alternatives and impacts will still be considered at that time, after the filing of the Notice of Intent (NOI).

(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: April 30, 2002.

Jose Sepulveda,

Kentucky Division Administrator, Frankfort.