Rescinding the Notice of Intent for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): Blair Bypass, Washington County, Nebraska

Joseph A. Werning
Federal Highway Administration
July 31, 2015

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 147 (Friday, July 31, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45701-45702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18815]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Rescinding the Notice of Intent for an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS): Blair Bypass, Washington County, Nebraska

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the 
Notice of Intent (NOI) for the preparation of an Environmental Impact 
Statement to study a bypass route around the City of Blair, in 
Washington County, Nebraska, is being rescinded [project number S-
89(17)]. The NOI was published in the Federal Register on June 2, 2004. 
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was not released. This 
rescission is based on a lack of available funding for the full 
corridor proposal, which has led to the reduction in the scope of the 
study and a refinement of the methods to identify and assess 
alternatives.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Maiefski, Program Delivery 
Team Lead, FHWA, Nebraska Division, 100 Centennial Mall North, Room 
220, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508, Telephone: (402) 742-8473.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 
cooperation with the City of Blair, Nebraska and the Nebraska 
Department of Roads (NDOR) initiated

[[Page 45702]]

an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study a bypass route around 
the City of Blair with a Notice of Intent on June 2, 2004. The project 
studied the causes of traffic congestion, delays, and accidents where 
State Highway 91 and U.S. Highways 30 and 75 share the same alignment 
within Blair on Washington Street from 19th Street to 13th Street. 
Traffic studies indicated that a bypass route around the south, east, 
and north parts of Blair could reduce truck traffic through downtown 
Blair.
    The NOI for the previous study is being rescinded due to funding 
constraints that have led to a reduced scope of study. The decision to 
rescind the NOI and to reduce the scope of the study was a joint 
decision by FHWA, the City of Blair, and NDOR. The new study will focus 
on alleviating traffic congestion within downtown Blair, but will 
refine the needs to be addressed and the methods for assessing 
alternatives. Given the reduction in scope, FHWA intends to proceed 
with an Environmental Assessment for the new study. If potentially 
significant impacts are identified during the new study, a new NOI to 
prepare an EIS will be published.
Comments or questions concerning the rescission of this proposed action 
and the EIS should be directed to the FHWA at the address provided 
above.

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

    Dated: June 30, 2015.
Joseph A. Werning,
Division Administrator, Nebraska.
[FR Doc. 2015-18815 Filed 7-30-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P