Revise Notice of Intent for an Environmental Impact Statement: State Route (SR) 95 Realignment Study: Interstate 40 to SR 68, Mohave County, Arizona

Karla S. Petty
Federal Highway Administration
December 23, 2013

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 246 (Monday, December 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77549-77550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30310]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Revise Notice of Intent for an Environmental Impact Statement: 
State Route (SR) 95 Realignment Study: Interstate 40 to SR 68, Mohave 
County, Arizona

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

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent (NOI).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: FHWA is issuing this Revised NOI to advise the public of a 
change to the environmental review process for the proposed realignment 
of State Route (SR) 95 in Mohave County, Arizona. FHWA and the project 
sponsor, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), intend to use 
a tiered process to facilitate project decision-making. This notice 
revises the NOI that was published in the Federal Register on June 1, 
2007.
    The proposed tiering approach will allow FHWA and ADOT to identify 
potential corridors and to broadly evaluate a range of potential 
environmental impacts and mitigation approaches in Tier 1. The Tier 1 
analysis will utilize as appropriate technical data obtained thus far 
in the environmental review process. Subsequently, in Tier 2, the 
agencies will evaluate project-level, site-specific impacts, and 
required mitigation and commitments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Hansen, Team Leader--Planning, 
Environment & Realty, Federal Highway Administration, 4000 North 
Central Avenue, Suite 1500, Phoenix, AZ 85012-3500, Telephone: (602) 
382-8964, Email: alan.hansen@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 1, 2007, FHWA and ADOT, in 
cooperation with Mohave County and the City of Bullhead City, issued an 
NOI to prepare an EIS for the proposed realignment of SR 95 in Mohave 
County, Arizona (Federal Register Vol. 72, No. 105). The study area 
begins approximately 2 miles south of Interstate 40 near Topock, 
Arizona and extends north to SR 68 near Bullhead City, Arizona. 
Information and documents regarding the environmental review process 
will be made available for the duration of the Tier 1 EIS process on 
the following Web site: https://www.azdot.gov/projects/far-west/sr-95-realignment-study-i-40-to-sr-68.
    Public Involvement: Public outreach will continue throughout this 
Tier 1 EIS process. At least one public hearing will be held during the 
study, and the Draft EIS will be available for public and agency review 
and comment prior to the public hearing.
    Purpose and Need: The Tier 1 EIS will evaluate alternatives that 
address the following needs of the SR 95 corridor: (1) Increasing 
traffic volumes will lead to capacity deficiencies on SR 95 within the 
study area; (2) the operation of SR 95 will fail by the design year 
2040 through much of the study area; (3) much of the length of the 
roadway will continue to be used for regional and local traffic, which 
is not consistent with its intended function; and (4) critically high 
accident rates will continue into the foreseeable future unless 
measures are undertaken to address at least some of the factors causing 
the accidents. Therefore, the

[[Page 77550]]

purpose of the proposed action is to identify the appropriate 
transportation solution(s) to rectify the increasing inability to 
safely and effectively move people, goods, and services through the 
study area.
    Alternatives: Alternative corridors will be developed within the 
previously defined study area.
    Environmental Review Process: The EIS will be developed in 
accordance with Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 
Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] part 1500 et seq.) implementing NEPA 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and FHWA regulations. FHWA and ADOT will use 
a tiered process, as provided for in 40 CFR 1508.28 and in accordance 
with FHWA guidance, in the completion of the environmental study.
    If the Record of Decision indicates that FHWA has selected one of 
the alternative corridors as the environmentally preferred alternative, 
the evaluation of a specific highway alignment within the selected 
corridor would occur in a subsequent phase of the study. Subsequent 
Tier 2 assessment(s) would address a proposed highway alignment to be 
developed within the alternative corridor selected in the Tier 1 EIS, 
and would incorporate by reference the Tier 1 data, evaluations, and 
findings. The Tier 2 NEPA evaluation(s) would concentrate on site-
specific issues and alternatives relevant to implementing a new highway 
alignment within the selected Tier 1 alternative corridor, and would 
identify the environmental consequences and measures necessary to 
mitigate environmental impacts at a site-specific level of detail.

(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.)

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; U.S.C. 771.123.

    Issued on: December 10, 2013.
Karla S. Petty,
FHWA Division Administrator, Phoenix, AZ.
[FR Doc. 2013-30310 Filed 12-20-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P