Notice To Rescind a Notice of Intent for an Environmental Impact Statement: Dane County, Wisconsin

Anna Varney
Federal Highway Administration
19 December 2016

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 243 (Monday, December 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 91996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30379]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice To Rescind a Notice of Intent for an Environmental Impact 
Statement: Dane County, Wisconsin

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice to Rescind a Notice of Intent for an Environmental 
Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that FHWA 
and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will no longer 
prepare a Tier 1 EIS for the US 51 corridor in Dane County, Wisconsin 
generally between Interstate 39/90 east of the City of Stoughton and US 
12/18 (Madison South Beltline Highway) because funding to complete 
improvements to be considered would not be available in the foreseeable 
future.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Varney, Major Projects Engineer, 
Federal Highway Administration, 525 Junction Road, Suite 8000, Madison, 
Wisconsin, 53717-2157, Telephone: (608) 829-7514. You may also contact 
Steve Krebs, Director, Bureau of Technical Services, Wisconsin 
Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 7965, Madison, Wisconsin 53707-
7965, Telephone: (608) 246- 7930.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was published in 77 FR 5087, Feb. 
1, 2012 for proposed transportation improvements in the United States 
Highway (US) 51 corridor in Dane County, Wisconsin generally between 
Interstate 39/90 east of the City of Stoughton and US 12/18 (Madison 
South Beltline Highway). A revised NOI was published in 80 FR 19111, 
Apr. 9, 2015 to advise that the environmental review process was being 
changed to a tiered process in which a Tier 1 EIS would be prepared to 
evaluate potential corridors for a future project-specific alignment.
    A needs assessment was conducted for the project corridor in 2004 
followed by initiation of the environmental review process for an EIS. 
The EIS review process examined factors contributing to the need for 
improvements within the U.S. 51 study corridor (long-term planning and 
corridor preservation, safety, roadway deficiencies, bike and 
pedestrian accommodations, and travel demand and capacity). Based on 
statewide transportation priorities, it was determined a commitment to 
improvements that address all of the need factors could not be made and 
the environmental review process was converted from a standard EIS to a 
Tier 1 EIS. FHWA, in cooperation with WisDOT, planned to prepare a Tier 
1 EIS for proposed improvements to address safety, operational and 
capacity concerns on approximately 18 miles of U.S. 51 between 
Interstate 39/90, east of the City of Stoughton, to U.S. 12/18 (Madison 
South Beltline Highway).
    The federal fiscal constraint requirement applied to WisDOT 
environmental studies requires that funding be identified for the next 
major project action to advance the project within a reasonable 
timeframe. Based on statewide priorities, it was determined that the 
U.S. 51 corridor alternatives proposed in the DEIS would not receive 
funding for the next major action to advance the project. It is 
anticipated 30+ years might elapse before improvements recommended in a 
Tier 1 EIS might align with funding. As such, the preparation of the 
EIS for the U.S. 51 corridor in Dane County, Wisconsin generally 
between Interstate 39/90 east of the City of Stoughton and U.S. 12/18 
(Madison South Beltline Highway) will not be completed. Any future 
transportation improvements along the U.S. 51 corridor will progress 
under a separate environmental review process in accordance with all 
applicable laws and regulations.

    Issued on: December 8, 2016.
Anna Varney,
Major Projects Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, Madison, 
Wisconsin.
[FR Doc. 2016-30379 Filed 12-16-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P