[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 194 (Thursday, October 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 60220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22533]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Alaska Department of 
Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF).

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared for the West 
Dowling Road Connection Project located in the Municipality of 
Anchorage, Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edrie Vinson, Environmental Project 
Manager, Federal Highway Administration, P O Box 21648, Juneau, AK 
99802, (907) 586-7464 or Miriam Tanaka, P.E. Project Manager, ADOT&PF, 
Box 196900, Anchorage, AK 99519, (907) 269-0546.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the ADOT&PF, 
will prepare an EIS for the West Dowling Road Connection Project. The 
ADOT&PF has identified the need to enhance roadway connectivity and 
construct accessibility improvements in the West Dowling Road 
Connection Project area. The arterial network in the project area is 
poorly connected. Of the roads that are classified as arterials, none 
connect east-west across the project area. The road network that does 
exist (minor arterials and collectors that feed traffic to the 
arterials) is discontinuous, which limits accessibility and mobility 
within and through the project area. East-west barriers to through 
traffic in the project area are Campbell Creek, the Alaska Railroad 
tracks, and the controlled-access freeways (New Seward Highway and 
Minnesota Drive). Because of the limited roadway connections, 
accessibility is a concern of emergency service providers. For the land 
uses within the project area, the incomplete road network often results 
in long and circuitous trip patterns. The lack of connectivity also 
hampers neighborhood access to residential areas and truck access to 
industrial areas. These problems add to traffic congestion on the 
adjacent street network. The project is identified in Anchorage's long-
range transportation plan. As such, the improvement is an important 
component of maintaining compliance with federal carbon monoxide (CO) 
standards (Anchorage was recently reclassified from nonattainment to 
maintenance for CO).
    A number of alternatives have been identified through a planning 
and scoping process. The EIS will examine the No-Build alternative and 
three build alternatives.
    Project planning for the West Dowling Road Connection Project has 
been underway since 2002 with preliminary engineering and a public and 
agency scoping process. Stakeholder interviews held in August of 2002 
provided an early, informal opportunity to meet with agency 
representatives to assess their expectations for involvement and to 
begin identifying agency-specific issues/concerns regarding the 
project. An initial round of public and agency scoping meetings was 
held on October 30, 2002. The second set of public and agency scoping 
meetings was held on May 14, 2003. A scoping summary report summarizing 
the public and agency scoping was published in November of 2003 and is 
available at the following Web site: http://www. dowlingroad.com.
    Based on project issues and on public and agency involvement to 
date, the FHWA has determined an EIS is required. Official notice of 
agency and public scoping for the EIS will be issued in the near 
future. A public hearing will be held following the publication of the 
Draft EIS. Notice of the availability of the Draft EIS and date and 
location of the hearing will be published in the Federal Register and 
in the Anchorage Daily News. Comments or questions concerning this 
proposed action and the EIS should be directed to the FHWA address 
provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this 
program.)
    Issued on: September 28, 2004.
David C. Miller,
Division Administrator, Juneau, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 04-22533 Filed 10-6-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M