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Environmental Impact Statement: Denton and Collin Counties, Texas Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Highway Administration Byline: Michael T. Leary Date: 26 September 2024 Subjects: American Government  , The Environment, Roads & Highways
Topic: Interstate Highway System |
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 187 (Thursday, September 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78969-78971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22011]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Denton and Collin Counties, Texas
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Federal notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS).
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to applicable Federal regulations, FHWA, on behalf of
TxDOT, is issuing this notice to advise the public that an EIS will be
prepared for a proposed transportation project CSJ 0918-46-341, to
construct a six-lane freeway primarily on new location connecting
Interstate 35 (I-35) in Denton County, Texas with the Dallas North
Tollway (DNT) in Collin County, Texas.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Liang Ding, P.E., Project Manager,
TxDOT Dallas District, 4777 East Highway 80, Mesquite, Texas 75150;
Phone (214) 320-6625; email: Liang.Ding@txdot.gov. TxDOT's normal
business hours are 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (central time), Monday through
Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental review, consultation, and
other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for
this project are being, or have been, carried out by TxDOT pursuant to
23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 9, 2019,
and executed by FHWA and TxDOT.
The purpose of the proposed action is to address population and
travel demand growth and support safe and resilient east-west mobility
and connectivity across Denton County. The need for the proposed action
is driven by (a) rapid population growth and increasing traffic volumes
that are contributing to congestion, (b) higher crash rates along Study
Area roadways compared to the statewide average, and (c) limited
mobility due to the lack of contiguous east-west arterials.
The proposed six-lane access-controlled freeway with one-way
frontage roads on each side would be constructed within an anticipated
typical right-of-way footprint 500 feet wide and extend about 23 miles
across northern Denton County connecting I-35 to the DNT in Collin
County, CSJ 0918-46-341. In addition to the build alternatives, project
alternatives to be considered include the No-Build Alternative, transit
and other transportation modes, and transportation system management.
In May 2024, Denton County concluded the Denton County Outer Loop
Feasibility Study that recommended two general end-to-end alignments
for the construction of the proposed freeway connecting I-35 and the
DNT. This EIS will evaluate four build alternatives and the No-Build
Alternative. The following five segments from the recommended
feasibility study alignments combine to form the four build
alternatives under consideration:
Segment A connects I-35 on the west along a primarily new location
alignment to Farm-to-Market (FM) Road 428 near FM 2153. Segment A
follows a section of Rector Rd. from I-35 to Trietsch Rd.
Segment B also connects I-35 on the west on a primarily new
location alignment to FM 428 near FM 2153. Segment B follows a portion
of Milam Rd. from I-35 to FM 2164.
Segment C is the common segment for all four build alternatives
considered, extending along the existing alignment of FM 428 between FM
2153 and Wildcat Rd. which crosses the Elm Fork Trinity River and the
Ray Roberts Lake State Park Greenbelt in the center of the Study Area.
Segment D connects Wildcat Rd. on the west to the DNT on the east
in Collin County. Segment D is primarily on new location except where
it follows sections of FM 428 between FM 1385 and the DNT.
Segment E also connects Wildcat Rd. on the west to the DNT on the
east in Collin County. Segment E is primarily on new location except
where it follows sections of Blackjack Rd. and FM 428 between FM 1385
and the DNT.
These segments, when linked end-to-end connecting the logical
termini of I-35 and the DNT, result in the Red, Purple, Blue, and Gold
Alternatives described below.
The Red Alternative is composed of Segments A, C, and D for a
length of about 23.3 miles. The Red Alternative begins at I-35 and
Rector Rd. in Denton County and travels east to FM 2164, then curves
north and back south to connect to FM 428 near FM 2153. It follows FM
428 over the Elm Fork Trinity River to slightly west of the City of
Aubrey where it curves around the north edge of Aubrey crossing US 377,
to continue east, then curving south to connect to FM 428/Spring Hill
Rd. west of FM 1385, and continues east along the general alignment of
FM 428 to connect to the DNT in Collin County. Grade-separated
interchanges would be considered at I-35, US 377, the DNT, and other
major road crossings.
The Purple Alternative, about 22.7 miles long, is composed of
Segments A, C, and E. It begins at I-35 and Rector Rd. in Denton County
and travels east to FM 2164, then curves north and back south to
connect to existing FM 428 near FM 2153. It follows FM 428 over the Elm
Fork Trinity River to slightly west of the City of Aubrey where it
curves around the north edge of Aubrey crossing US 377, tying into
Blackjack Rd. and following Blackjack Rd. to the east and curving south
to cross FM 2931 to follow the general alignment of FM 428/Spring Hill
Rd. to the east to connect to the DNT in Collin County. Grade-separated
interchanges would be considered at I-35, US 377, the DNT, and other
major road crossings.
The Blue Alternative is composed of Segments B, C, and E for a
length of about 22.4 miles. The Blue Alternative begins at I-35 and
Milam Rd. extending east along Milam Rd. to FM 2164 where it curves
north and east to follow Shepard Rd. and then curves south to connect
to FM 428 near FM 2153. It follows FM 428 over the Elm Fork Trinity
River to slightly west of the City of Aubrey where it curves around the
north edge of Aubrey crossing US 377,
[[Page 78970]]
tying into Blackjack Rd. and following Blackjack Rd. to the east and
curving south to cross FM 2931 to follow the general alignment of FM
428/Spring Hill Rd. to the east to connect to the DNT in Collin County.
Grade-separated interchanges would be considered at I-35, US 377, the
DNT, and other major road crossings.
The Gold Alternative, about 23.0 miles long, is composed of
Segments B, C, and D. It begins at I-35 and Milam Rd. extending east
along Milam Rd. to FM 2164 where it curves north and east to follow
Shepard Rd. and then curves south to connect to FM 428 near FM 2153. It
follows FM 428 over the Elm Fork Trinity River to slightly west of the
City of Aubrey where it curves around the north edge of Aubrey crossing
US 377, to continue east, then curving south to connect to existing FM
428/Spring Hill Rd. west of FM 1385, and continues east along the
general alignment of FM 428 to connect to the DNT in Collin County.
Grade-separated interchanges would be considered at I-35, US 377, the
DNT, and other major road crossings.
The new location build alternatives share common alignments with
the potential to result in wetland and waters of the U.S. impacts,
floodplain/floodway encroachment and the need for compensatory storage,
encroachment onto Federal conservation easements, the use of public
parkland (Section 4(f)), loss of woodlands, conversion of farmland to
transportation use, residential and business displacements, impacts to
potential hazardous material sites, traffic noise, changes to the
visual environment, impacts to historic and archeological resources,
and induced growth and cumulative effects.
The proposed action may require issuance of an Individual or
Nationwide Permit under section 404 of the Clean Water Act, an
individual Section 401 Water Quality Certification, a Section 402/Texas
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit, and a Section 408
Permit; conformance with Executive Orders on Environmental Justice
(12898), Limited English Proficiency (13166), Wetlands (11990),
Floodplain Management (11988), Invasive Species (13112); and compliance
with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 7
of the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, section
4(f) of the DOT Act (49 U.S.C. 303), section 6(f) of the Land and Water
Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4601), title VI of the Civil Rights Act,
and other applicable Federal and State regulations.
TxDOT anticipates completing the study process for this proposed
action by September 2026. The Draft EIS would be issued in February
2026, and the combined Final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) would be
issued in September 2026.
The following entities have been invited to be cooperating agencies
for this EIS: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District
(USACE), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and the Texas
Historical Commission (THC).
The following entities have been invited to be participating
agencies for this EIS: Commanche Nation of Oklahoma; Delaware Nation;
Federal Aviation Administration; Federal Railroad Administration;
Federal Transit Administration, Region 6; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians;
Kiowa Tribe; Mescalero Apache Tribe; North Central Texas Council of
Governments; North Texas Municipal Water District; North Texas Tollway
Authority; Public Utility Commission of Texas; Shawnee Tribe; Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality; Texas Department of Housing and
Community Affairs; Texas General Land Office; Texas Railroad
Commission; Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board; The Lakes
Freshwater District; The Muskogee Nation; Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma;
Upper Trinity Regional Water District; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service; U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency;
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; U.S. Department of
the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 6; Wichita and Affiliated Tribes; Collin County; City of
Aubrey; City of Celina; City of Cross Roads; City of Dallas Water
Utilities; City of Denton; City of Frisco; City of Krugerville; City of
Pilot Point; and City of Sanger.
TxDOT intends to coordinate throughout the NEPA process with the
USACE to enable them to adopt the Draft and Final EIS, or portions
thereof, to determine its overall sufficiency in order to identify and
substantiate the USACE's Preliminary Least Environmentally Damaging
Most Practicable Alternative (LEDPA) and to develop their own ROD to
provide the basis for future Division of the Army permit and real
estate decisions; the TPWD under the 2021 Memorandum of Understanding
for the review and coordination of transportation projects codified
under title 43, Texas Administrative Code, part 1, chapter 2,
subchapter G, sections 2.201-2.207 and as an owner and manager of
public lands within the Study Area protected by chapter 26 of the Parks
and Wildlife Code; and the THC under the Texas Antiquities Code,
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and Section 4(f)
of the DOT Act for potential unavoidable impacts to National Register
of Historic Places eligible resources.
TxDOT will issue a single Final EIS and ROD document pursuant to 23
U.S.C. 139(n)(2), unless TxDOT determines statutory criteria or
practicability considerations preclude the issuance of a combined
document.
In accordance with 23 U.S.C. 139, cooperating agencies,
participating agencies, and the public will be given an opportunity for
continued input on project development. An agency scoping meeting was
held with cooperating and participating agencies on September 4, 2024,
with comments requested by September 20, 2024. Public scoping meetings
are planned for October 29, 2024, in Pilot Point and October 30, 2024,
in Denton. The scoping meetings provide an opportunity for the
cooperating and participating agencies along with stakeholders and the
public to review and comment on the draft coordination plan and
schedule, the project purpose and need, the range of alternatives, and
methodologies and level of detail for analyzing alternatives. They will
also allow all parties an opportunity to provide input on any expected
environmental impacts, anticipated permits or other authorizations, and
any significant issues that should be analyzed in depth in the EIS.
Notices will be published in October 2024 announcing the time and
location of each public scoping meeting. In addition to public scoping
meetings, other public meetings will be held during the development of
the Draft EIS and public hearings will be held after the Draft EIS is
prepared. Public notice will be given of the date, time, and location
of future meetings and hearings.
The public meetings and hearings will be conducted in English. If
you need an interpreter or document translator because English is not
your primary language or you have difficulty communicating effectively
in English, one will be provided to you. If you have a disability and
need assistance, special arrangements can be made to accommodate most
needs. If you need interpretation or translation services or you are a
person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend and
participate in the public meeting, please contact Madeline Shepherd,
Denton County Outer Loop Project
[[Page 78971]]
Team, info@dentoncountyouterloop.com, by mail to Burns & McDonnell,
ATTN: Denton County Outer Loop, 13737 Noel Road, Suite 700, Dallas,
Texas 75240, or at (469) 294-4502 no later than 4 p.m. CT, on October
24, 2024. Please be aware that advance notice is required as some
services and accommodations may require time for the Texas Department
of Transportation to arrange.
The public is requested to provide comments on alternatives or
impacts and on relevant information, studies, or analyses with respect
to this proposed project. Comments may be provided in writing to
Madeline Shepherd, Denton County Outer Loop Project Team,
info@dentoncountyouterloop.com or by mail to Burns & McDonnell, ATTN:
Denton County Outer Loop, 13737 Noel Road, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas
75240. Comments must be received by November 29, 2024.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
Highway Planning and Construction.)
Authority: 23 CFR 771.123(a).
Michael T. Leary,
Director, Planning and Program Development, Federal Highway
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-22011 Filed 9-25-24; 8:45 am]
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