Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement: Multiple South and East Texas Counties, State of Texas

Gregory S. Punske
Federal Highway Administration
January 25, 2011

[Federal Register: January 25, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 16)]
[Notices]               
[Page 4412]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25ja11-125]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

 
Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement: Multiple South and East Texas Counties, State of 
Texas

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

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

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the 
Notice of Intent to prepare a Tier One Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the proposed extension of Interstate Highway 69 (I-69) from 
near Laredo and the Lower Rio Grande Valley is rescinded. The original 
notice dated January 15, 2004 was published in the Federal Register 
Volume 69, number 10 and on pages 2382-2383. The original notice can be 
viewed electronically here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/04-
866.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gregory S. Punske, P.E., District 
Engineer (District B, South), Federal Highway Administration, Texas 
Division, 300 East 8th Street, Room 826, Austin, Texas 78701. Telephone 
(512) 536-5960.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Texas 
Department of Transportation (TxDOT), published a Notice of Intent in 
the Federal Register on January 15, 2004 (Volume 69, No. 10 Page 2382) 
and a Notice of Intent correction published on January 30, 2004 (Volume 
69, No. 20, Page 4557) to prepare a Tier One EIS for the proposed 
extension of I-69 from near Laredo and the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The 
proposed Tier One EIS was to evaluate the National High Priority 
Corridor 18 and Corridor 20 systems. In addition, I-69 was also being 
evaluated as part of the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) system which would 
have included lanes for passenger vehicles, separate lanes for trucks, 
rail lines, and a utility corridor.
    The I-69/TTC Tier One DEIS was released for public review and 
comment on November 13, 2007. A Notice of Availability (NOA) was 
published in the Texas Register on December 11, 2007 and in the Federal 
Register on December 14, 2007. TxDOT held public hearings on the Tier 
One DEIS in February and March of 2008. In June 2008, TxDOT informed 
the FHWA of their intent to eliminate the Tier One New Location 
Alternative and not advance it as an alternative for the I-69/TTC 
project. TxDOT further recommended that only the use of existing and 
planned transportation facilities be advanced as the preferred 
alternative. The basis for this decision centered on consideration of 
environmental and transportation planning factors in combination with 
the technical comments received on the Tier One DEIS. Also, on January 
6, 2009, TxDOT unveiled Innovative Connectivity in Texas/Vision 2009 
which defined a new vision for TxDOT's corridor development process and 
resulted in the retirement of the Trans-Texas Corridor concept. As a 
result of the retirement of the TTC concept and TxDOT's intent to only 
evaluate the use of existing and planned facilities to develop I-69, 
the project described and being evaluated under the above mentioned 
notices is no longer under consideration. As a result, the above 
mentioned notices are rescinded.

    Issued on: January 14, 2011.
Gregory S. Punske,
District Engineer (District B, South), Austin, Texas.
[FR Doc. 2011-1441 Filed 1-24-11; 8:45 am]
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