Environmental Impact Statement: Cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA

Jose M. Miranda
Federal Highway Administration
March 4, 1994

[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 43 (Friday, March 4, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-4975]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 4, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration

 

Environmental Impact Statement: Cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, 
WA

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 
construction project in Grays Harbor County, Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry F. Morehead, Division 
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, 711 South Capitol Way, 
suite 501, Olympia, WA 98501, telephone: (206) 753-9555; or Gary 
Demich, District Administrator, District 3, Washington State Department 
of Transportation, P.O. Box 7440, Olympia, WA 98504, telephone: (206) 
357-2659.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA in cooperation with the Washington 
State Department will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) 
on a proposal to improve State Route 101 (SR 101) in Grays Harbor 
County, Washington. The proposed project would select and adopt a new 
highway alignment through the cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam. The new 
alignment would begin at the intersection of State Route 12 (SR 12) and 
terminate at the intersection with State Route 109 (SR 109), a distance 
of approximately 8 miles.
    This highway improvement is considered necessary to alleviate 
congestion, decrease delays, and improve safety. The SR 101 corridor 
through Aberdeen and Hoquiam is the main route between the metropolitan 
Puget Sound region, the Pacific Ocean beaches and the western Olympic 
Peninsula, leading to extremely high traffic volumes during peak 
tourist periods. Due to poor roadway geometrics, inadequate signal 
coordination, high volumes of port related truck traffic, and under 
utilization of the designated truck by-pass through the port industrial 
area, operational conflicts between heavy trucks and other vehicles 
result in severe congestion and delays. Accident rates are abnormally 
high through the Central Business District due to conflicts between 
through traffic and vehicles utilizing on-street parking. There are no 
alternate routes through the corridor. The proposed improvement would 
resolve congestion and safety concerns by improving truck access to 
Grays Harbor port facilities and providing an alternate corridor for 
through traffic.
    Alternatives currently under consideration include (1) no action; 
(2) limited improvements to the existing alignment, (3) two which would 
construct a new Hoquiam River Bridge crossing with limited improvements 
to the existing alignment, (4) three separate new alignment 
alternatives, and (5) a multi modal alternative. Incorporated into and 
studied with the various alternatives will be design variations for new 
bridges over the Wishkah and Hoquiam Rivers and completion of the SR 
101/SR 12 Interchange.
    Announcements describing the proposed action and soliciting 
comments will be sent to appropriate Federal, State and local agencies. 
These will also be sent to affected Indian Tribes, private 
organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are known 
to have interest in this proposal. Scoping meetings will be held in 
Aberdeen on March 23rd and 24th, 1994. Additional public meetings will 
be held prior to the release of the Draft EIS on the project. In 
addition, a public hearing will be held after the release of the Draft 
EIS to receive public and agency comments on the EIS. Public notice 
will be given of the time and place of these future meetings and the 
hearing. The Draft EIS will be available for public and agency review 
and comment prior to the public hearing.
    It is important that the full range of issues related to this 
proposed action be addressed and that all significant issues be 
identified. To ensure this, comments and suggestions are invited from 
all interested parties. Comments or questions concerning this proposed 
action and the EIS should be directed to the FHWA at the address and 
phone number 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 February 23, 1994.
Jose M. Miranda,
Environmental Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration, 
Washington Division.
[FR Doc. 94-4975 Filed 3-3-94; 8:45 am]
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