Rescinding a Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement: Delaware County, NY Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Highway Administration Byline: Richard J. Marquis Date: 27 September 2023 Subjects: American Government , Roads & Highways

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66550-66551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21056]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Rescinding a Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement: Delaware County, NY

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA, in cooperation with the New York State Department of 
Transportation (NYSDOT), is issuing this notice to advise the public 
that we are rescinding the 2001 Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a previous proposal to improve 
NYS Route 17 in Delaware County, New York (the Project, NYSDOT Project 
Identification Number [PIN] 9066.91). FHWA is rescinding the NOI 
because a substantial amount of time has passed since its original 
publication, and previously identified funding and design resources 
were reprioritized and reallocated to other needs, preventing the 
progression of the Project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard J. Marquis, Division 
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, New York Division, Leo 
W. O'Brien Federal Building, 11A Clinton Avenue, Suite 719, Albany, New 
York 12207, Telephone: (518) 431-4127; or James Rusak, P.E., Regional 
Director, New York State Department of

[[Page 66551]]

Transportation, Region 9, Binghamton State Office Building, 44 Hawley 
Street, Binghamton, New York 13901, Telephone: (607) 721-8116.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the NYSDOT, 
previously intended to prepare an EIS to improve a section of the NYS 
Route 17 corridor within the Towns of Deposit and Hancock in Delaware 
County, New York. The NOI was published in the Federal Register on July 
9, 2001, at 66 FR 35824.
    The NOI indicated that the Project objectives were to eliminate all 
at-grade intersections and driveways on NYS Route 17 between Hale Eddy 
and Hancock and to upgrade NYS Route 17 to Interstate standards for the 
designation of NYS Route 17 to Interstate 86.
    As stated in the 2001 NOI, alternatives under consideration 
included (1) Do Nothing and (2) Controlled access freeway, built to 
Interstate standards, with at least one full interchange serving the 
community of Hale Eddy. Several alignment alternatives were under 
consideration for further study under the controlled access freeway 
alternative, which generally included new interchanges and 
reconstruction of the freeway. Within all of the alternatives, various 
options for maintaining access to existing properties incorporating 
service roads were under study. Incorporated into and studied with the 
various alternatives were design variations of grade and alignment.
    Development of the EIS and advancement of the Project was delayed 
primarily due to increased Project costs and reprioritization of 
funding. Funding constraints and a subsequent shift in overall NYSDOT 
priorities led to reprioritization of budget allocations and design 
resources. Since the Project has not progressed, and because a 
substantial amount of time has passed since the original NOI was 
published, the 2001 NOI is being rescinded. The FHWA and NYSDOT will 
reassess the transportation needs for the NYS Route 17 corridor at this 
location. If a new action is proposed warranting preparation of an EIS, 
a new NOI will be published in the future.
    Comments and questions concerning this recission should be directed 
to the FHWA or NYSDOT at the addresses provided above.

Richard J. Marquis,
Division Administrator, HDA-NY, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-21056 Filed 9-26-23; 8:45 am]
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