[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 159 (Friday, August 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 46260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-4017]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement; Collier County, FL

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

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 a proposed 
highway project in Collier County, Florida.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: BSB Murthy, Transportation Engineer, 
Federal Highway Administration, 545 John Knox Road, Suite 200, 
Tallahassee, Florida 32303, Telephone 850-942-9650.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Florida 
Department of Transportation, will prepare an EIS for a proposal to 
connect the proposed State Road (SR) 29 in Collier County, Florida. The 
proposed roadway improvement will consist of increasing capacity on SR 
29 between Oil Well Road and SR 82, a distance of approximately 17 
miles. The proposed project involves evaluating the widening of the 
existing two-lane undivided segment of SR 29 to four lanes, as well as 
the study of an alternative route that bypasses downtown Immokalee.
    The expansion of SR 29 between Oil Well Road and SR 82 is 
identified as a needs project within the Collier County Metropolitan 
Organization (MPO) 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and is 
consistent with Collier County's adopted Growth Management Plan. This 
capacity improvement is intended to accommodate travel demand generated 
by population and employment growth, as well as approved development in 
the project study area. In addition, this improvement is anticipated to 
enhance emergency evacuation capacity and traffic circulation. This 
enhancement will improve the circulation of goods, as SR 29 serves as a 
key intrastate freight corridor providing access to local agriculture 
and ranching operations, as well as to freight activity centers located 
in central Florida and populated coastal areas.
    Alternatives under consideration include (1) Taking no action; (2) 
widen existing SR 29 from two to four lanes beginning at Oil Well Road 
and ending at SR 82, and (3) a new alignment within the project study 
area that bypasses downtown Immokalee.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to 
private organizations and citizens who have expressed interest in this 
proposal.
    A series of public meetings and a public hearing are planned in 
Collier County between December 2007 and January 2010. Public notice 
will be given of the time and place of the meetings and hearing. The 
Draft EIS will be made available for public and agency review and 
comment. Two sets of formal scoping meetings are planned between 
November 2007 and December 2008 that will involve affected government 
agencies, interested groups, and the public. One set of meetings will 
address purpose and need, and the second set will address alternatives 
selection.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to the proposed 
action is addressed and all significant issues identified, comments and 
suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be 
directed to 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 inter-governmental 
consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this 
program.)

    Issued on: August 7, 2007.
James Christian,
Assistant Division Director, Tallahassee, Florida.
[FR Doc. 07-4017 Filed 8-16-07; 8:45 am]
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