Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the SR-241/SR-91 Tolled Express Lanes Connector Project Supplemental Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement: Orange County, California

Tashia J. Clemmons
Federal Highway Administration
2 April 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 64 (Thursday, April 2, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18631-18632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06916]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the SR-241/
SR-91 Tolled Express Lanes Connector Project Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement: Orange County, California

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the 
SR-241/SR-91 Tolled Express Lanes Connector Project Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement 
(Supplemental EIR/EIS).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the California Department of Transportation 
(Caltrans) has prepared a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement

[[Page 18632]]

(Supplemental EIR/EIS) developed for the SR-241/SR-91 Tolled Express 
Lanes Connector Project. By this Notice, the FHWA is announcing the 
availability of the ROD. This supplemental environmental analysis was 
prepared to analyze buildout of the Eastern Transportation Corridor 
(ETC), as approved in 1994. Caltrans District 12 issues this ROD to 
advise the public of their decision to approve the proposed tolled 
express lanes connector between State Route 241 and the 91 Express 
Lanes.

ADDRESSES: The ROD and other project records are available at the 
Caltrans District 12, 1750 East Fourth Street, Suite 100, Santa Ana, 
California 92705 and Foothill Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency 
(F/ETCA) office, 125 Pacifica, Suite 120, Irvine, California 92618.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Smita Deshpande, Generalist Branch 
Chief, Caltrans-District 12, ``Attn: 241-91 ROD'', 1750 East Fourth 
Street, Suite 100, Santa Ana, California 92705, telephone (657) 328-
6151, or email D12TolledExpressLanesConnector@dot.ca.gov. For FHWA, 
contact David Tedrick, telephone (916) 498-5024, or email 
david.tedrick@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The California Department of Transportation 
(Caltrans) is the lead agency under the California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA). Caltrans is also the lead agency under the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as assigned by the Federal 
Highway Administration (FHWA), in accordance with NEPA (42 United 
States Code [U.S.C.] 4321 et seq.); and the Council on Environmental 
Quality (CEQ) Regulations implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal 
Regulations [CFR] 1500-1508). Caltrans District 12, in cooperation with 
the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (F/ETCA) proposes 
the State Route 241/State Route 91 (SR-241/SR-91) Express Lanes 
Connector to construct a median-to-median connector between SR-241 and 
the tolled lanes in the median of SR-91 (91 Express Lanes). The 
Proposed Project proposes to improve access and reduce congestion at 
the SR-241/SR-91 interchange by providing a direct connector between 
SR-241 and the 91 Express Lanes. The Propose Project, located at the 
junction of SR-241 and SR-91 in the cities of Anaheim, Yorba Linda, and 
Corona and the counties of Orange and Riverside, would provide improved 
access between SR-241 and SR-91 and is proposed to be a tolled facility 
with a total length of approximately 8.7 miles (mi). Currently, there 
is no direct connection between the SR-241 toll road and the 91 Express 
Lanes. SR-241 is a tolled facility, starting at the Oso Parkway 
interchange, in south Orange County, to its terminus at SR-91. The 91 
Express Lanes is a two-lane tolled facility, in each direction, located 
in the median of SR-91, from State Route 55 (SR-55), to the Orange/
Riverside County line (east of the SR-241 interchange). The existing 
SR-241/SR-91 interchange connects northbound SR-241 to non-tolled 
general purpose lanes of eastbound and westbound SR-91 and the 
eastbound and westbound SR-91 to southbound SR-241.
    The Final Supplemental EIR/EIS was signed on January 7, 2020. The 
Notice of Availability for the Final Supplemental EIR/EIS was posted in 
the Federal Register on January 17, 2020 for a 30-day period ending on 
February 18, 2020. During the 30-day review period, Caltrans received 
letters and email correspondence from seven agencies. The Orange County 
Transportation Authority (OCTA) acknowledged receipt of the notice for 
the approval of the Final Supplemental EIR/EIS and did not provide 
further comments. The Orange County Cemetery District requested to be 
included in future correspondence pertaining to the Project. The 
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), stated that they 
have no comments at this time. The California Transportation Commission 
(CTC) stated that they have no comments at this time and should be 
notified as soon as the environmental process is finalized. The 
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) sent an email 
requesting a copy of the project location map and also provided a 
formal comment letter requesting that any design plans be submitted for 
their review and written approval to avoid potential conflicts with 
their facilities and right-of-way. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
stated that they have no comments at this time. The United States Army 
Corps of Engineers (USACE) inquired with Caltrans staff regarding 
future coordination for funding and permitting. No comments in protest 
of the Final Supplemental EIR/EIS were received prior to issuance of 
the ROD.

    Issued on: March 25, 2020.
Tashia J. Clemmons,
Director, Planning and Environmental, Federal Highway Administration, 
Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2020-06916 Filed 4-1-20; 8:45 am]
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