[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 123 (Monday, June 26, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39464-39465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16005]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Termination of Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Milwaukee 
and Waukesha Counties, Wisconsin

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

[[Page 39465]]


ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise that FHWA is 
terminating the Environmental Policy Act (EIS) process at the 
conclusion of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Major Investment 
Study (DEIS/MIS) phase of the project development. The FHWA and the 
WisDOT have jointly decided to not continue with completion of the EIS 
process for the IH 94 East-West Corridor Study. Work completed to date 
on the DEIS/MIS will serve as a starting point for developing 
environmental analysis and documentation for potential individual 
projects expected to follow. The DEIS/MIS was completed and made 
available to the public on November 8, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William K. Fung, FHWA Wisconsin 
Division Administrator; Telephone: (608) 829-7500, FHWA Wisconsin 
Division Office, 567 D'Onofrio Drive, Madison, WI 53719-2814.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing 
Office's Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet 
users may reach the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's database at 
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

Background

    The FHWA, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of 
Transportation (WisDOT) is closing the Major Investment Study (MIS) for 
the I-94 East-West Corridor study in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, 
Wisconsin. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)/MIS was made 
available to the public on November 8, 1996. The DEIS/MIS evaluated 
five transportation components: (1) Redesign of the Marquette 
Interchange (I-94/I-43/I-794); (2) re-design of the East-West Freeway 
(I-94) between downtown Milwaukee and Waukesha; (3) special purpose 
lanes for carpools and buses in the East-West Freeway Corridor; (4) 
light rail transit in Milwaukee County; and (5) expanded bus transit 
service throughout the metro Milwaukee area.
    A Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) which included all five of 
the above-mentioned transportation components was accepted by the 
relevant county boards in 1997. However, none of the elements of the 
LPA have advanced into preliminary engineering. Developing the LPA 
completed the MIS process. Therefore, FHWA is concluding the Major 
Investment Study process for the I-94 East-West Corridor in Milwaukee 
and Waukesha Counties.
    Because the corridor-wide MIS is in place, and recognizing that the 
components of the LPA are unlikely to proceed on the same schedule, the 
I-94 East-West Corridor DEIS will not be followed by a corridor-wide 
Final EIS or Record of Decision. The previous work completed on the 
DEIS will now serve to provide a solid foundation of information on 
which to begin environmental analysis of individual components. Then, 
if found to satisfy State and Federal requirements, the individual 
component could be advanced through the final design and construction 
phases. Advancing an individual component requires its own sponsoring 
agency. This advancement of a component would not preclude or assure 
that another component would move forward.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing 
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on 
Federal programs and activities apply to this program)

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: June 14, 2000.
William K. Fung,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Madison, WI.
[FR Doc. 00-16005 Filed 6-23-00; 8:45 am]
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