Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 242 / Wednesday, December 17, 1997 / Notices 66173

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement:

Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise

Counties, Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: The Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA) is issuing this

notice to advise the public that a draft

environmental impact statement will be

prepared for a proposed transportation

corridor between Route 23 in Pound,

Virginia and the West Virginia State

Line, including the Virginia Counties of

Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bruce Turner, Planning and

Environment Program Manager, Federal

Highway Administration, The Dale

Building, Suite 205, 1504 Santa Rosa

Road, Richmond, Virginia 23229,

Telephone 804–281–5111.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA, in cooperation with the Virginia

Department of Transportation (VDOT),

will prepare an Environment Impact

Statement (EIS) on a proposed highway

from Route 23 in Pound, Virginia to the

West Virginia State Line. The National

Highway System Designation Act of

1995 extended the Coalfields

Expressway from West Virginia into

Virginia and defined the roadway as

going to Pound, Virginia generally

following State route 83 through

Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise

Counties. The proposed project involves

a location study for the Coalfields

Expressway in Virginia. The corridor

will be developed as a two lane facility

on an ultimate four lane design.

Improvements could involve existing

Route 83, a new highway on new

location, or a combination of both.

Access control will also be developed as

part of this study.

Alternatives under consideration

include: (1) taking no action (no build);

(2) transportation system management

(improvement to the existing roadway

network); (3) mass transit; and (4)

various build alternatives on both new

location and combinations of existing

and new location. The build alternatives

will incorporate variations of vertical

and horizontal grade alignments.

Letters describing the proposed action

and soliciting comments will be sent to

appropriate Federal, State, and local

agencies, private organizations, and

citizens who have previously expressed

or are known to have an interest in this

proposal. The scoping process is

anticipated to begin in Fall of 1997. A

series of public informational meetings

and a public hearing will be held in the

near future. Public notice will be given

indicating the time and place of the

meetings and hearing. The Draft EIS will

be available for public and agency

review and comment prior to the public

hearing.

To ensure that the full range of issues

related to this proposed action are

addressed and all significant issues are

identified, comments and suggestions

are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning the

proposed action and the Draft EIS

should be directed to the FHWA at the

address provided above.

(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

proposed action.)

Issued on: December 5, 1997.

Bruce Turner,

Planning and Environment Program Manager,

Richmond, Virginia.

[FR Doc. 97–32860 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement:

Roanoke, Franklin and Henry Counties,

Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA).

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: The Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA) is issuing this

notice to advise the public that a draft

environmental impact statement will be

prepared for a proposed highway project

in the counties of Roanoke, Franklin

and Henry in Virginia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bruce Turner, Planning and

Environment Program Manager, Federal

Highway Administration, The Dale

Building, Suite 205, 1504 Santa Rosa

Road, Richmond, Virginia 23229,

Telephone 804–281–5111.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA, in cooperation with the Virginia

Department of Transportation (VDOT),

will prepare an Environment Impact

Statement (EIS) to identify a location for

a future Interstate (I–73) in Roanoke,

Franklin and Henry counties, Virginia.

The project would involve the location

an construction of a new four-lane

interstate facility, interchanges, and

redesign and construction of local

access roads and roadway systems

between Roanoke, Virginia to a point

south of Martinsville, Virginia in the

vicinity of the Virginia/North Carolina

border for a total distance of

approximately 70 miles.

Improvements to the corridor are

considered necessary to provide for

existing and future traffic demand, to

reduce accidents and improve safety in

the existing U.S. Route 220 corridor,

and to provide a portion of new

interstate in accordance with the

Intermodal Surface Transportation

Efficiency Act (ISTEA) passed by the

United States Congress in 1991. ISTEA

identified I–73 as a highway corridor of

national significance and directed the

corridor be included on the National

Highway System. Congress defined I–73

as a north-south corridor from

Charleston, South Carolina to Detroit,

Michigan that would pass through

Winston-Salem, North Carolina,

Portsmouth, Ohio, and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Also included in the this proposal is the

redesign and reconstruction of affected

service roads and local access, including

the identification of potential

interchange locations along the corridor.

Alternatives under consideration

include: (1) taking no action (no build);

(2) transportation system management

(improvement to the existing roadway

network) and/or intelligent

transportation system methods and

techniques; (3) widening the existing

U.S. 220 highway to a four-lane, limited

access highway; and (4) construction of

a new four-lane, limited access highway

on new location.

Letters describing the proposed action

and soliciting comments will be sent to

appropriate Federal, State, and local

agencies, private organizations, and

citizens who have previously expressed

or are known to have an interest in this

proposal. A series of public meetings

will be held between now and

December 1999. In addition, public

hearings will be held. Public notices

will be given of the time and place of

the meetings and hearings. The draft EIS

will be available for public and agency

review and comment prior to the public

hearings.

To ensure that the full range of issues

related to this proposed action are

addressed and all significant issues are

identified, comments and suggestions

are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning the

proposed action and the draft EIS

should be directed to the FHWA at the

address provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning
66174 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 242 / Wednesday, December 17, 1997 / Notices

and Construction. The regulations

implementing Executive Order 12372

regarding intergovernmental consultation on

Federal programs and activities apply to this

proposed action.)

Issued On: December 8, 1997.

Edward S. Sundra,

Environmental/Air Quality Engineer,

Richmond, Virginia.

[FR Doc. 97–32861 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Notice of Application for Approval of

Discontinuance or Modification of a

Railroad Signal System or Relief From

the Requirements of Title 49 Code of

Federal Regulations Part 236

Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal

Regulations (CFR) part 235 and 49

U.S.C. App. 26, the following railroads

have petitioned the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) seeking approval

for the discontinuance or modification

of the signal system or relief from the

requirements of 49 CFR part 236 as

detailed below.

Block Signal Application (BS–AP)—No.

3438

Applicant: CSX Transportation,

Incorporated, Mr. R. M. Kadlick, Chief

Engineer Train Control, 500 Water

Street (S/C J–350), Jacksonville,

Florida 32202.

CSX Transportation, Incorporated

seeks approval of the proposed

modification of the traffic control

system, on the two main tracks, near

East Garrett, Indiana, milepost BI–126.1,

Garrett Subdivision, Chicago Service

Lane, consisting of the discontinuance

and removal of controlled signals A34E,

B34E, C34E, A34W, and B34W, the

discontinuance and removal of the

power-operated right turnout on Main

Track No. 1, and conversion of the

power-operated crossover between Main

Tracks No. 1 and 2 to electrically locked

hand operation.

The reason given for the proposed

changes is the installation of a third

main track.

BS—AP–No. 3439

Applicants: SOO Line Railroad

Company, Mr. Roscoe VanPelt,

District Coordinator Signals &

Communications, Canadian Pacific

Railway, 105 South 5th Street, Box

530, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Mr. D. G.

Boll, Assistant Vice President Signal

Engineering, 1900 Continental Plaza,

777 Main Street, Fort Worth, Texas

76102–5384.

Wisconsin Central Limited, Mr. John R.

Lamz, Chief Engineer

Communications & Signals, P.O. Box

96, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481.

The SOO Line Railroad Company

(SOO), Burlington Northern Santa Fe

(BNSF), and Wisconsin Central Limited,

jointly seek approval of the proposed

discontinuance and removal of the

smash boards from the home signals, at

Bald Eagle Interlocking, milepost 18.11,

Bald Eagle, Minnesota, where the SOO

single main track crosses at grade the

BNSF single main track, on the SOO’s

Paynesville Subdivision, including

installation of a FPC monitor.

The reason given for the proposed

changes is to reduce maintenance

associated with smash boards.

Any interested party desiring to

protest the granting of an application

shall set forth specifically the grounds

upon which the protest is made, and

contain a concise statement of the

interest of the protestant in the

proceeding. The original and two copies

of the protest shall be filed with the

Associate Administrator for Safety,

FRA, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Mail

Stop 25, Washington, D.C. 20590 within

45 calendar days of the date of

publication of this notice. Additionally,

one copy of the protest shall be

furnished to the applicant at the address

listed above.

FRA expects to be able to determine

these matters without an oral hearing.

However, if a specific request for an oral

hearing is accompanied by a showing

that the party is unable to adequately

present his or her position by written

statements, an application may be set

for public hearing.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on December

10, 1997.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Standards and Program Development.

[FR Doc. 97–32910 Filed 12–16–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Notice of Application for Approval of

Discontinuance or Modification of a

Railroad Signal System or Relief From

the Requirements of Title 49 Code of

Federal Regulations Part 236

Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal

Regulations (CFR) Part 235 and 49

U.S.C. App. 26, the following railroads

have petitioned the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) seeking approval

for the discontinuance or modification

of the signal system or relief from the

requirements of 49 CFR Part 236 as

detailed below.

Block Signal Application (BS–AP)–No.

3440

Applicant: Union Pacific Railroad

Company, Mr. P.M. Abaray, Chief

Engineer-Signals/Quality, 1416 Dodge

Street, Room 1000, Omaha, Nebraska

68179–1000.

The Union Pacific Railroad Company

seeks approval of the proposed

discontinuance and removal of the

automatic block signal system, on the

single main track, between Wellton,

milepost 770.8 and Arlington, milepost

861.6, Arizona, on the Gila Subdivision,

Phoenix Line, former Southern Pacific

Lines, a distance of approximately 91

miles. The proposed changes include

removal of signals; switch point, and

fouling protection; conversion of Signals

7719 and 8608 to inoperative D signals;

conversion of Signals 40RA and 38RB at

Wellington to red-lunar aspects; and

conversion of Signal 8617 at Arlington

to a lunar aspect.

The reason given for the proposed

changes is that this portion of the

Phoenix Line has been shut down for a

period of time and does not have any

more rail traffic; the trackage will no

longer be a main track, but will be used

as a storage track.

BS–AP–No. 3441

Applicant: Union Pacific Railroad

Company, Mr. P.M. Abaray, Chief

Engineer-Signals/Quality, 1416 Dodge

Street, Room 1000, Omaha, Nebraska

68179–1000.

The Union Pacific Railroad Company

seeks approval of the proposed

discontinuance and removal of the

automatic block signal system, on the

single main track, between Port Chicago,

milepost 40.9 and Tracy, milepost 78.7,

California, on the Martinez Subdivision,

Mococo Line, former Southern Pacific

Lines, a distance of approximately 38

miles. The proposed changes include

removal of signals, switch point, and

fouling protection; conversion of Signal

433 to an operative D signal; conversion

of Signal FA at Port Chicago to redgreen aspect; and designation of the

trackage to DTC operations.

The reason given for the proposed

changes is that this portion of the

Mococo Line does not have rail traffic

to warrant the signal system.

BS–AP–No. 3442

Applicant: Union Pacific Railroad

Company, Mr. P.M. Abaray, Chief

Engineer-Signals/Quality, 1416 Dodge