Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Washington, DC

Joseph C. Lawson
Federal Highway Administration
December 8, 2014

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 235 (Monday, December 8, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 72753-72754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28720]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Washington, DC

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: FHWA is issuing this revised NOI as a correction to advise 
agencies and the public that a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (SDEIS) will be prepared for the South Capitol Street Project 
(the Project). The Project proposes to make major changes to the South 
Capitol Street Corridor from Firth Sterling Avenue SE. to Independence 
Avenue and the Suitland Parkway from Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. 
to South Capitol Street, including replacing the existing Frederick 
Douglass Memorial Bridge over the Anacostia River. This notice revises 
the NOI that was published in the Federal Register on July 28, 2014

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Federal Highway Administration, 
District of Columbia Division: Mr. Michael Hicks, Environmental/Urban 
Engineer, 1990 K Street NW., Suite 510, Washington, DC 20006-1103, 
(202) 219-3513, email: michael.hicks@dot.gov; or the District of 
Columbia Department of Transportation: Mr. E.J. Simie, PE, Project 
Manager, 55 M Street SE., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20003, (202) 671-
2800, email: ej.simie@dc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In March 2011, the FHWA in conjunction with 
the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) approved release of 
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Project. The 
availability of the FEIS was announced in the April 8, 2011 Federal 
Register. The alternatives examined in detail in the FEIS included a No 
Build Alternative and three build alternatives: Build Alternatives 1 
and 2 and the Preferred Alternative, which was a modification of Build 
Alternative 2. A movable arched bascule was selected for the new 
Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. The alignment of the new bridge 
would be at an angle from the existing bridge to allow the swing span 
on the existing bridge to remain operational during construction, which 
meant that right-of-way would be needed from Joint Base Anacostia-
Bolling (JBAB). Build Alternatives 1 and 2 were eliminated from 
consideration in the FEIS and, therefore, will not be considered in the 
SDEIS.
    Since publication of the FEIS, FHWA and DDOT have considered major 
changes regarding the design of the FEIS Preferred Alternative. Most 
notably, DDOT reconsidered the need to obtain right-of-way from JBAB, 
which resulted in changing the alignment of the proposed new Frederick 
Douglass Memorial Bridge to a location immediately south of and 
parallel to the existing bridge. In addition, new information about 
current and planned navigation along the Anacostia River, including the 
navigation requirements of the U.S. Navy (USN), led to the decision to 
make the new bridge a fixed span structure instead of a movable span 
structure. Other notable design revisions made to the FEIS Preferred 
Alternative include the conversion of the east side traffic circle to a 
traffic oval similar in size to the proposed west traffic oval, and 
changes to the proposed ramps or ramp modifications between South 
Capitol Street and I-695, Suitland Parkway and I-295, and Martin Luther 
King, Jr. Avenue SE. and Suitland Parkway. Due to these and other 
design changes, a Revised Preferred Alternative was developed.
    The SDEIS will be prepared in accordance with the requirements of 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 4371, et seq.), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), FHWA Code of Federal Regulations 
(23 CFR 771.101-771.137, et seq.), and all applicable Federal, State, 
and local government laws, regulations, and policies. The SDEIS will 
describe the revised preferred alternative, update the affected 
environment, and describe the anticipated environmental impacts of the 
Revised Preferred Alternative in comparison to the anticipated 
environmental impacts disclosed in the FEIS for the FEIS Preferred 
Alternative. The Purpose and Need of the Project did not change from 
the FEIS. The U.S. Navy; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Coast 
Guard; the National Park Service; and the District of Columbia 
Department of the Environment will continue to serve as Cooperating 
Agencies for the Project.
    A 45-day review period will be provided following the Notice of 
Availability of the SDEIS in the Federal Register, and a public meeting 
will be held within this review period. The public meeting will be 
conducted by DDOT and announced a minimum of 15 days in advance of the 
meeting. DDOT will provide information for the public meeting, 
including date, time and location through a variety of means including 
the Project Web site (http://www.southcapitoleis.com) and by newspaper 
advertisement.

[[Page 72754]]

    To ensure that the full range of issues is identified early in the 
process, comments are invited from all interested and/or potentially 
affected parties. Comments or questions concerning this Notice should 
be directed to the FHWA and DDOT at the addresses provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205 
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations and implementing 
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on 
Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: November 17, 2014.
Joseph C. Lawson,
Division Administrator, District of Columbia Division, Federal Highway 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-28720 Filed 12-5-14; 8:45 am]
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