Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed Highway Between Bush, LA and I-12 in St. Tammany Parish, LA |
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Pete J. Serio
Federal Register
September 9, 2011
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 175 (Friday, September 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55887-55889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23085]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed Highway
Between Bush, LA and I-12 in St. Tammany Parish, LA
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is issuing this
notice to advise the public that a Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) has been completed and is available for review and comment.
DATES: Comments on the DEIS must be received no later than 5 p.m.
Central Standard Time, Monday, October 24, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to U.S. Corps of Engineers, New Orleans
District, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70188.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
and the DEIS should be addressed to James A. Barlow, Jr., PhD,
Regulatory Branch, phone (504) 862-2250 or e-mail at
james.a.barlow@usace.army.mil, or Ms. Brenda Archer, Regulatory Branch,
phone (504) 862-2046 or e-mail at brenda.a.archer@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS has been prepared to address the
NEPA, environmental and cultural resource laws, USACE Regulatory
Program Regulations (Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations [CFR]
parts 320-332), including the 33 CFR part 325, Appendix B, and the
requirements of the section 404(b)(1) guidelines (40 CFR part 230), to
gather information needed for the USACE permit decision-making process
regarding a permit application submitted by the Louisiana Department of
Transportation and Development (LADOTD). LADOTD proposes construction
of a high-speed, four-lane arterial highway from the southern terminus
of the current, modern four-lane arterial portion of LA 21 in Bush,
Louisiana, to I-12, a distance between 17.4 and 21 miles. The majority
of the proposed highway would be designed as a rural arterial road RA-3
with a design speed of 70 miles per hour, which, according to LADOTD,
generally equates to a posted speed limit of 65 miles per hour. The
typical cross section would have two 12-foot travel lanes, an 8- to 10-
foot outside shoulder, and a 4-foot inside shoulder in each direction.
The median width would vary depending on highway design class used
ranging between 40 and 60 feet, and a maximum ROW requirement of 250
feet. The exception to that design could be as the proposed project
transitions into existing roadways (i.e. intersections), and where
alternative alignments follow the existing LA 21.
The proposed I-12 to Bush highway is an effort planned by LADOTD
and funded by the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic
Development (TIMED) program (Louisiana Revised Statute 48:820.2). The
stated mission of the TIMED program is to, ``foster economic
development throughout the state of
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Louisiana and enhance the quality of life for its residents through an
investment in transportation projects.'' The TIMED program, approved by
the 1989 General Session of the Louisiana State Legislature, identified
a 15-year construction program funded by a 4-cent fuel tax, which
includes the construction of the proposed LA 3241 highway between Bush,
LA and I-12 in St. Tammany Parish. Revised Statute 47:820.2.B(1)(e)
provides for a project from I-12 to Bush to be constructed as a four-
lane or more highway. The proposed highway would provide a four-lane
highway connection for Washington and northern St. Tammany Parishes to
I-12, with the purported goal of providing for regional transportation
needs and stimulating undefined economic growth and activity in the
region.
LADOTD has stated that the proposed highway is needed as an
alternative north-south connection that could reduce congestion and
delays for those traveling from northern St. Tammany Parish and
Washington Parish to I-12. As stated by LADOTD, the needs of the
proposed action are to: (1) Fulfill the legislative mandate, Louisiana
Revised Statute 47:820.2B(e); (2) provide a logical, direct, modern,
high-speed, four-lane arterial to I-12 from the southern terminus of
the current, modern, four-lane arterial portion of LA 21; (3) divert
traffic from Washington and northern St. Tammany Parishes onto a four-
lane, modern, high-speed arterial to free capacity for local trips on
segments of existing routes in southern suburban areas and reduce
congestion during peak and some non-peak periods; and (4) support and
enhance the existing and developing economic activities in Washington
and northern St. Tammany Parishes that rely on the highway network to
reach their markets by providing a travel time savings.
The Corps defines the overall project purpose as to construct a
four-lane arterial highway from the southern terminus of LA 21 in Bush,
Louisiana, to I-12. The need for the project is to meet a legislative
mandate in Louisiana Revised Statute 47:820.2B(e), which requires,
``[t]he Louisiana Highway 3241 project from Interstate 12 to Bush* *
*shall be constructed as a [four]-lane or more highway.''
The project area is entirely within St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana,
and roughly bounded by LA 21, U.S. Highway (US) 190, I-12, US 11, and
LA 41. It encompasses approximately 245 square miles in area and
includes the incorporated areas of Abita Springs, Pearl River, and
portions of the cities of Slidell and Covington. Unincorporated areas
such as Bush, Hickory, Talisheek, and Waldheim are included in the
project area.
The DEIS examines the No Build Alternative, Alternative B/O,
Alternative J, Alternative P, and Alternative Q as the principal
alternatives for detailed analysis. These alternatives are described in
the following paragraphs.
Alternative 1: No Build Alternative. Under the No Build
Alternative, the Corps would not issue any permits for construction of
a new modern, high-speed, four-lane highway between Bush and I-12. As a
result, the existing roadway network in the region would remain in its
current condition and continue to serve as the transportation network
to travel between Bush and I-12. The No Build Alternative ensures that
there would be no direct or indirect impacts to threatened and
endangered species, wetlands, environmentally sensitive areas, aquatic
resources, or historic sites. Including the CEQ-required No Build
Alternative in the EIS serves as a benchmark against which build
alternatives can be evaluated. If the proposed highway is not
constructed, project-related impacts would be avoided. Other
alternatives would have to be developed to provide anticipated project
benefits.
Alternative 2: Alternative B/O. Under Alternative B/O, LA 21 would
be widened to a four-lane highway from Bush to just north of Waldheim,
then continue as a new four-lane roadway approximately 5 miles west of
LA 1083, terminating at LA 1088 near I-12. The alternative would be
approximately 19.5 miles long, with 7.0 miles on existing alignment and
12.5 miles on new alignment. The majority of the alignment would
consist of an RA-3 typical cross section, which would have a typical
ROW width requirement of 250 feet. Control of access could be provided
except where the highway follows existing LA 21 and highway crossings
at LA 435 and LA 36, and the connection to LA 1088.
Alternative 3: Alternative J. Under Alternative J, a new four-lane
highway following the abandoned railroad corridor would be constructed
from Bush to a point due north of the Slidell Municipal Airport. From
that point, the proposed route would connect to Airport Road, which
ties into I-12 at an existing interchange (Exit 80). This proposed
route would be approximately 21.1 miles long, with 14.2 miles using the
abandoned railroad embankment, 5.4 miles on new alignment, and 1.5
miles of existing roadway. The majority of the route (17.5 miles) would
consist of an RA-3 typical cross section, which would have a typical
ROW width of 250 feet. The northern 0.7 mile of the route would consist
of a rural arterial-2 (RA-2) cross section, while the southern 1.9
miles would have suburban arterial SA-1 cross section. Control of
access to the route could be provided for the section of highway
classified as RA-3 (17.5 miles), except for the segment through
Talisheek (2.0 miles) and where the highway crosses LA 435 and LA 36.
Alternative 4: Alternative P. Under Alternative P, a new alignment
would begin at the intersection of LA 41 and LA 40 in Bush and proceed
southward for approximately 17.4 miles to LA 1088. The majority of the
project (15.2 miles) would consist of an RA-3 typical cross section,
which has a typical ROW width requirement of 250 feet. The northern 0.7
mile of the project would consist of an RA-2 cross section, which also
has a ROW width of 250 feet. The exception to that design would be at
the southern end of the project area. The last 1.5 miles would be
designed as a suburban arterial -1 typical section, which has a ROW
width of approximately 180 feet. The proposed route would use an
abandoned railroad corridor from Bush to Talisheek, a distance of
approximately 2.5 miles, before turning southwesterly for approximately
13.3 miles on a new alignment to connect with LA 1088 north of I-12.
Access for this route would be provided in Bush, at LA 435, at LA 36,
and at the intersection with LA 1088. Crossings of existing highways
would be at grade.
Alternative 5: Alternative Q. Under Alternative Q, a new four-lane
highway following the abandoned railroad corridor would be constructed
from Bush to a point approximately 1.7 miles north of LA 36. From that
point, the proposed route would leave the railroad corridor and connect
to LA 434, which ties into I-12 at an existing interchange (Exit 74).
This alternative would be approximately 19.8 miles long, with 9.8 miles
using the abandoned railroad embankment, 8.7 miles on new alignment,
and 1.3 miles on existing roadway. The majority of the alternative
(17.2 miles) would consist of an RA-3 typical cross section, which
would have a typical ROW width of 250 feet. The northern 0.7 miles of
the route would have an RA-2 cross section, with a ROW width of 250
feet. Control of access to the route could be provided for the section
of highway classified as RA-3 (17.3 miles), except for the segment
through Talisheek (2.0 miles) and where the highway crosses LA 435, LA
36, and connects to LA 434.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we
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have filed the DEIS with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
for publication of their notice of availability in the Federal
Register. The EPA notice officially starts the 45-day review period for
this document. It is the goal of the USACE to have this notice
published on the same date as the EPA notice. However, if that does not
occur, the date of the EPA notice will determine the closing date for
comments on the DEIS.
Scoping: A Scoping Meeting was held in Abita Springs, Louisiana, on
January 22, 2009 to solicit input from interested agencies and the
public regarding the range of issues and alternatives that should be
considered in the EIS. A Public notice was posted on the District's
webpage and local newspapers, and mailed to current stakeholder lists
with notification of the public meetings and requesting input and
comments on issues that should be addressed in the DEIS.
A public hearing for this DEIS will be held on September 28, 2011
from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in Abita Springs, Louisiana, at the Abita Springs
Town Hall located on 22161 Level Street. The purpose of this public
hearing is to provide the public the opportunity to comment, either
orally or in writing, on the DEIS. Notification of the hearing will be
announced following the same format as the Scoping Meetings
announcements.
The DEIS is available online on the New Orleans District Web site
at http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/ops/regulatory/reg_regulatory_news.asp and the I-12 to Bush Web site at http://www.i12tobush.com.
Copies of the DEIS are also available for review at the following
libraries:
1. St. Tammany Parish Library:
--Abita Springs Branch, 71683 Leveson Street, Abita Springs, LA
70420.
--Bush Branch, 81597 Highway 41, Bush, LA 70431.
--Covington Branch, 310 W. 21st Avenue, Covington, LA 70433.
--Lee Road Branch, 79213 Highway 40, Covington, LA 70435.
--Mandeville Branch, 844 Girod Street, Mandeville, LA 70448.
--Pearl River Branch, 64580 Highway 41, Pearl River, LA 70452.
--Slidell Branch, 555 Robert Boulevard, Slidell, LA 70458.
2. Franklinton Library, 825 Free Street, Franklinton, LA 70438.
3. Bogalusa Library, 304 Avenue F, Bogalusa, LA 70427.
4. Louisiana State Library, 701 North 4th Street, Baton Rouge, LA
70802.
5. University of New Orleans, Earl K. Long Library, Louisiana
Collection, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148.
Dated: August 25, 2011.
Pete J. Serio,
Chief, Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-23085 Filed 9-8-11; 8:45 am]
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