[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5652-5653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2428]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Multiple North-Central, Central 
and South Texas Counties, State of Texas

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA issuing this notice to advise the public that a Tier 
One environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared for a 
proposed multi-modal transportation facility to extend south from the 
Texas-Oklahoma state line, north of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan 
area, through Central Texas, to the Texas-Mexico international border 
and/or the Texas Gulf Coast. The proposed facility, known as Trans-
Texas Corridor 35 (TTC-35), is a priority element of the proposed 
Trans-Texas Corridor system for the State of Texas as conceptually 
outlined in Crossroads of the Americas: Trans-Texas Corridor Plan 
(TTCP), June 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Salvador Deocampo, District Engineer, 
Federal Highway Administration, 300 E. 8th Street, Room 826, Austin, 
Texas 78701, Telephone: (512) 536-5950.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Texas 
Department of Transportation (TxDOT), intends to prepare a Tier One EIS 
for the selection of a corridor for the proposed construction of the 
TTC-35 multi-modal transportation facility. As currently envisioned, 
the proposed TTC-35 facility would include highway lanes for passenger 
vehicles; separate lanes for trucks; and rail lines (one in each 
direction serving freight, commuter and high speed passenger traffic). 
Interchanges or grade separations would be constructed at thoroughfares 
and direct connector ramps would be provided at selected facilities. 
The width of the typical section for the proposed facility would be 
approximately 1,000 to 1,200 feet, which would include a 200-foot wide 
utility zone that could ultimately accommodate lines for water, 
petroleum, natural gas, electricity, data and other commodities. The 
proposed facility would extend from the Texas-Oklahoma state line, 
north of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, through Central 
Texas, to the Texas-Mexico international border and/or the Texas Gulf 
Coast--a distance of approximately 800 miles. The actual length would 
be dependent upon the corridor selected during the Tier One EIS and 
subsequent route location studies to occur during Tier Two. For much of 
its length, it is anticipated that the proposed TTC-35 facility would 
generally parallel existing Interstate Highway 35; however, to maximize 
flexibility in determining a southern terminus at the United States/
Mexico International Border and/or the Texas Gulf Coast, much of south 
Texas and the Rio Grande Valley will be analyzed in the Tier One EIS.
    FHWA and TxDOT anticipate utilizing a combination of traditional 
and innovative financing options to fund construction of the proposed 
facility. These options include state and federal transportation 
sources, public/private partnerships and tolling.
    The Tier One EIS will focus on broad issues such as general 
location, and area wide air quality and land use implications of the 
major alternatives. Alternatives to be considered in the Tier One EIS 
will include corridor location alternatives and the no-action 
alternative. Anticipated decisions to be made during the Tier One study 
include

[[Page 5653]]

identification of a preferred corridor location alternative; refinement 
of modal concepts; identification of preliminary segments of 
independent utility and identification of areas that may warrant 
corridor preservation. The Tier One EIS and subsequent record of 
decision, once issued, will not authorize construction of any portion 
of the proposed TTC-35 facility.
    Documents prepared during Tier Two will retain the no-action 
alternative for consideration and comparison with the reasonable build 
alternatives, further refine the selected corridor, and would address 
site-specific details on project impacts, cost and mitigation measures; 
and would rely upon and utilize the environmental analysis in the Tier 
One EIS. Tier Two documents could be in the form of Environmental 
Assessments, Categorical Exclusions or EISs depending on the type, 
scope and complexity of proposed second tier projects.
    As a priority element of the Trans-Texas Corridor system, the 
proposed TTC-35 facility is considered necessary to enhance the Texas 
transportation system by facilitating management of congestion in 
urbanized areas, improving safety of hazardous materials transport, and 
creating economic development opportunities.
    Public scoping meetings will be held for the proposed project; 
however, dates for the meetings have not yet been determined. At least 
30 days and 10 days prior to the public scoping meetings, notice of the 
meetings will be published in newspapers having general circulation in 
the project area. In addition to the public scoping meetings, letters 
describing the proposed action and soliciting comments to be considered 
during the scoping process will be sent to appropriate federal, state 
and local authorities as well as private organizations, individuals and 
stakeholders who have previously expressed or are known to have an 
interest in this proposal. Public meetings and a public hearing(s) will 
be held during appropriate phases of the project development process. 
Public notices will be given of the date, time, and location of each.
    A second high priority Trans-Texas Corridor--the I-69 High Priority 
Corridor--is also under development and a Tier One EIS will be prepared 
for that facility. A separate Notice of Intent for that EIS was 
published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2004. Although the I-
69 facility and TTC-35 are separate and distinct actions, with each 
having logical termini and independent utility, each of the proposed 
facilities shares the need to terminate along the Texas-Mexico 
International Border or Texas Gulf Coast resulting in overlap of study 
areas. In the overlapping areas, care will be taken to closely 
coordinate the development of the two facilities in order to minimize 
duplication of effort and inconvenience to the public, resource 
agencies and other stakeholders. Both projects will be considered in 
the cumulative impacts analysis for each of the facilities.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action is addressed and all significant issues are identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning this proposed action and the Tier One EIS should 
be directed to the FHWA at the 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: January 26, 2004.
Salvador Deocampo,
District Engineer, Austin, Texas.
[FR Doc. 04-2428 Filed 2-4-04; 8:45 am]
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