Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 221 / Friday, November 15, 2024 / Notices 90345 

Budget. Comments should be addressed 

to the attention of the Desk Officer, 

Department of Transportation/FAA, and 

sent via electronic mail to oira_

submission@omb.eop.gov, or faxed to 

(202) 395–6974, or mailed to the Office 

of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget, 

Docket Library, Room 10102, 725 17th 

Street NW, Washington, DC 20503. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Raymond Plessinger by email at: 

raymond.plessinger@faa.gov; phone: 

717–443–7296 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Comments Invited: You are 

asked to comment on any aspect of this 

information collection, including (a) 

Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for FAA’s 

performance; (b) the accuracy of the 

estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to 

enhance the quality, utility and clarity 

of the information collection; and (d) 

ways that the burden could be 

minimized without reducing the quality 

of the collected information. The agency 

will summarize and/or include your 

comments in the request for OMB’s 

clearance of this information collection. 

OMB Control Number: 2120–0044. 

Title: Rotorcraft External Load 

Operator Certificate Application. 

Form Numbers: FAA Form 8710–4. 

Type of Review: Renewal. 

Background: The Federal Register 

Notice with a 60-day comment period 

soliciting comments on the following 

collection of information was published 

on June 26, 2024 (89 FR 53475). This 

collection involves the application for 

issuance or renewal of a 14 CFR part 

133 Rotorcraft External Load Operator 

Certificate. Application for an original 

certificate or renewal of a certificate 

issued under 14 CFR part 133 is made 

on a form, and in a manner prescribed 

by the Administrator. The FAA form 

8710–4 may be obtained from an FAA 

Flight Standards District Office, or 

online at https://www.faa.gov/ 

documentLibrary/media/form/faa8710- 

4.pdf. The completed application is sent 

to the district office that has jurisdiction 

over the area in which the applicant’s 

home base of operation is located. 

The information collected includes: 

type of application, Operator’s name/ 

DBAs, telephone number, mailing 

address, physical address of the 

principal base of operations, chief pilot/ 

designee name, airman certificate grade 

and number, rotorcraft make/model 

registration numbers to be used and 

load combinations requested. In 

addition, this information collection 

includes requirements to report 

emergency operations, plans for 

operation over congested areas, and 

submission of flight manuals for 

approval, and recordkeeping 

requirements for certificates and 

crewmember testing and training 

records. 

Respondents: 357 active part 133 

certificate-holders. 

Frequency: New applications when 

needed; current 14 CFR part 133 

certificate-holders must renew every 24 

months. 

Estimated Average Burden per 

Response (by Section): Section 133.15, 

Application for Certificate Issuance or 

Renewal: 0.5 hours; Section 133.21, 

Personnel: 0.3 hours; Section 133.25, 

Amendment of Certificate: 0.5 hours; 

Section 133.27, Availability, transfer, 

and surrender of certificate: 0.5 hours; 

Section 133.31, Emergency Operations: 

2 hours; Section 133.33, Operating 

Rules: 2 hours; Section 133.37, 

Crewmember training, currency, and 

testing requirements: 0.3 hours; Section 

133.47, Rotorcraft Load Combination 

Flight Manual: 40 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 

3,295 total hours per year, or 9.3 hours 

per respondent. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on November 

12, 2024. 

D.C. Morris, 

Aviation Safety Analyst, Flight Standards 

Service, General Aviation and Commercial 

Division. 

[FR Doc. 2024–26675 Filed 11–14–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

[Docket No. FHWA–2024–0073] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study: 

Tier 2 National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), U.S. 

Department of Transportation (USDOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare 

an environmental impact statement 

(EIS). 

SUMMARY: The FHWA, in coordination 

with the Maryland Transportation 

Authority (MDTA), is issuing this 

Notice of Intent to solicit comments and 

advise the public, agencies, and 

stakeholders that an environmental 

impact statement will be prepared for 

the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study: 

Tier 2 NEPA (Tier 2 Study) to address 

existing and future transportation issues 

at the William Preston Lane, Jr. 

Memorial (Bay) Bridge and its 

approaches along U.S. 50/301, from 

Anne Arundel County on the Western 

Shore to Queen Anne’s County on the 

Eastern Shore, in Maryland. The unique 

identification number for this project is 

EISX—XMD–1729253019. This NOI 

contains a summary of the information 

required in the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) 

regulations. This NOI should be 

reviewed together with the NOI 

Additional Project Information 

Document, which contains important 

details about the study, information on 

the Purpose and Need for the proposed 

action, alternatives considered, and 

expected impacts on the human, 

natural, and built environments. 

Persons and agencies who may be 

interested in or affected by the proposed 

study are encouraged to comment on the 

information in this NOI and the NOI 

Additional Project Information 

Document. 

DATES: Comments on the NOI or the NOI 

Additional Information documents must 

be received on or before January 13, 

2025. 

ADDRESSES: This NOI and the NOI 

Additional Project Information 

Document are also available in the 

docket referenced above at 

www.regulations.gov and on the Tier 2 

Study website located at https://

baycrossingstudy.com. 

Comments on the NOI or the NOI 

Additional Project Information 

Document can be submitted through the 

methods outlined below: 

• Website: For access to the 

documents, go to the Federal 

Rulemaking Portal located at 

www.regulations.gov or the project 

website located at https://baycrossing

study.com. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments at 

www.regulations.gov. 

• Mailing address or for hand 

delivery or courier: Docket Management 

Facility, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, West Building Ground 

Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 

20590. 

• https://baycrossingstudy.com. 

• Mailing address or for hand 

delivery or courier: Maryland 

Transportation Authority, Division of 

Planning & Program Development, Bay 

Crossing Study, 2310 Broening 

Highway, Baltimore, Maryland 21224. 

• Email: info@baycrossingstudy.com. 

• Call: 667–203–5408. 

All comment submissions should 

include the agency name and docket 

number that appear in the heading of 

this notice. The comments received by 


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90346 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 221 / Friday, November 15, 2024 / Notices 

the comment period end date of January 

13, 2025, will be posted without change 

to www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. A 

summary of the comments received will 

be included in the forthcoming Draft EIS 

(DEIS). 

For tracking purposes, the unique 

identification number for this project is 

EISX—XMD–1729253019. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Heather Lowe, Project Manager. 

Maryland Transportation Authority, 

Division of Planning & Program 

Development, 2310 Broening Highway, 

Baltimore, MD 21224; Phone: (410) 537– 

5665; Email: info@

baycrossingstudy.com; or Alexander 

Bienko, Environmental Protection 

Specialist. Federal Highway 

Administration, Maryland Division, 31 

Hopkins Plaza, Suite 1520, Baltimore, 

MD 21201; Phone: (410) 779–7148; 

Email: alexander.bienko@dot.gov. 

Interested parties can also sign up for 

the Tier 2 Study mailing list located at 

https://baycrossingstudy.com to receive 

notifications for future study 

information and upcoming public 

engagement opportunities. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

FHWA, as lead Federal agency, and the 

MDTA, as the project sponsor, will 

prepare an EIS for the Tier 2 Study, in 

compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969, as amended (42 United States 

Code [U.S.C.] 4321, et seq.), 23 U.S.C. 

139, CEQ regulations implementing 

NEPA (40 CFR 1500–1508), FHWA 

regulations implementing NEPA (23 

CFR 771.101–771.139), and applicable 

Federal, State, and local governmental 

laws and regulations. 

Project Background 

The Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study 

(Bay Crossing Study) is a two-tiered 

preliminary engineering and 

environmental study to address existing 

and future transportation issues at the 

Bay Bridge and its approaches along 

U.S. 50/301. The Bay Bridge is a twospan structure that crosses the 

Chesapeake Bay from Anne Arundel 

County on the Western Shore to Queen 

Anne’s County on the Eastern Shore. 

The MDTA and FHWA initiated Tier 

1 of the Bay Crossing Study (Tier 1 

Study) in 2016. The Tier 1 Study EIS 

encompassed a broad geographic area 

that spanned nearly 100 miles of the 

Chesapeake Bay between Harford and 

Cecil counties to the north, and St. 

Mary’s and Somerset counties to the 

south. The Tier 1 Study EIS defined 

existing and future transportation 

conditions and needs at the existing Bay 

Bridge, evaluated 14 possible corridor 

alternative locations, documented the 

corridor alternative screening process, 

and concluded with the identification of 

a Selected Corridor Alternative. The 

Tier 1 Study was completed in April 

2022 when FHWA issued a Final EIS/ 

Record of Decision (FEIS/ROD) 

identifying the corridor including the 

existing Bay Bridge and its approaches 

(Corridor 7) as the Selected Corridor 

Alternative for further evaluation in a 

Tier 2 Study. Activities for the Tier 2 

Study were launched in June 2022. 

The Tier 2 Study, a project-level (sitespecific) analysis, will describe 

potential environmental effects and 

evaluate alternatives of the proposed 

action. To ensure that all potential 

alternatives, important issues, or 

significant environmental effects and 

analyses relevant to the proposed action 

are considered in the EIS, comments 

and suggestions are invited from all 

affected or interested parties. The 

FHWA requests comments on the 

purpose and need, reasonable range of 

alternatives for evaluation in the EIS, 

existing environmental conditions and 

potential impacts, and identification of 

any relevant information, studies, or 

analyses concerning impacts affecting 

the quality of the human or natural 

environment. The purpose of this 

request is to bring relevant comments 

and information to FHWA’s and 

MDTA’s attention as early in the process 

as possible to enable the agencies 

involved to make maximum use of this 

information in the decision-making 

process. Comments may be submitted 

according to the instructions in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

Purpose and Need for the Proposed 

Action 

The Tier 1 Study purpose was to 

consider corridors for providing 

additional capacity and access across 

the Chesapeake Bay in order to improve 

mobility, travel reliability, and safety at 

the existing Bay Bridge. The evaluation 

of potential corridors included 

assessments of existing and potentially 

expanded transportation infrastructure 

needed to support additional capacity, 

improve travel times, and accommodate 

maintenance activities, while 

considering financial viability and 

environmental responsibility. The 

Selected Corridor Alternative was 

chosen because it would provide the 

greatest congestion relief at the existing 

bridge crossing for existing and future 

traffic volumes, particularly at peak 

hours, thus having the greatest ability to 

meet the Purpose and Need of the Tier 

1 Study EIS. 

The transportation issues identified 

during the Tier 1 Study have been 

further developed and refined to better 

describe the specific needs for the Tier 

2 Study. The purpose of the Tier 2 

Study is to address existing and future 

transportation capacity needs and 

access across the Chesapeake Bay and at 

the Chesapeake Bay Bridge approaches 

along the U.S. 50/301 corridor. The Tier 

2 Study is evaluating measures to 

reduce congestion; improve travel times 

and reliability, mobility, and roadway 

deficiencies; and accommodate 

maintenance activities and navigation 

while minimizing impacts to local 

communities and the environment. The 

Tier 2 Study is also considering 

objectives for environmental 

responsibility, as well as cost and 

financial responsibility. 

The Purpose and Need for the Tier 2 

Study EIS was developed in close 

coordination with Cooperating and 

Participating agencies (see section 7.4 

below or appendix B (Coordination 

Plan) for a list of Cooperating and 

Participating agencies). The MDTA 

presented the draft preliminary purpose 

and need to these agencies and the 

public in 2023 for comment. Based on 

the comments received, the MDTA 

completed a Preliminary Purpose and 

Need Statement and Report and 

received concurrence from the 

Cooperating agencies in 2024. The 

complete Tier 2 Study Preliminary 

Purpose and Need Statement and Report 

may be reviewed in Appendix A to the 

NOI Additional Project Information 

Document, which is available in the 

docket established for this study and on 

the study website. Comments on the 

Preliminary Purpose and Need for the 

study are welcomed during the NOI 

comment period. 

Preliminary Description of the 

Proposed Action and Alternatives the 

Environmental Impact Statement Will 

Consider 

The MDTA and FHWA propose to 

evaluate additional transportation 

capacity across the Chesapeake Bay 

along the U.S. 50/301 corridor (Corridor 

7 from the Tier 1 Study EIS). The study 

limits for the Tier 2 Study EIS extend 

from the MD 2/MD 450 interchange on 

the Western Shore to the U.S. 50/301 

split on the Eastern Shore. As part of the 

proposed action, the MDTA proposes 

removing the existing two Bay Bridge 

spans and replacing them with a new 

two-span bridge over the Chesapeake 

Bay. 

The MDTA has identified seven 

alternatives for the proposed action, 

including the no-build alternative and 

six build alternatives. These alternatives 


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comprise the reasonable range of 

alternatives that will be evaluated in the 

Tier 2 Study EIS and are the MDTA’s 

proposed Alternatives Retained for 

Detailed Study (ARDS). The proposed 

build alternatives would provide 

additional transportation capacity 

across the Chesapeake Bay on a new 

two-span bridge that would fully 

replace the travel lanes on the existing 

Bay Bridge spans. Consistent with 

FHWA and CEQ regulations, the NoBuild Alternative is being considered 

and will be evaluated in the Tier 2 

Study EIS. The proposed ARDS are: 

• Alternative A—No-Build: retains the 

existing Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the 

U.S. 50/301 alignment, and the 

existing number of lanes: 6 lanes 

along U.S. 50/301 on the Western 

Shore, 5 lanes across the Chesapeake 

Bay on the existing bridge, and 6 

lanes along U.S. 50/301 on the Eastern 

Shore 

• Alternative B—6–8–6 North: 6 lanes 

along U.S. 50/301 on the Western 

Shore, 8 lanes across the Chesapeake 

Bay on a new bridge to the north of 

the existing bridge, and 6 lanes along 

U.S. 50/301 on the Eastern Shore 

• Alternative C—6–8–6 South: 6 lanes 

along U.S. 50/301 on the Western 

Shore, 8 lanes across the Chesapeake 

Bay on a new bridge to the south of 

the existing bridge, and 6 lanes along 

U.S. 50/301 on the Eastern Shore 

• Alternative D—8–8–8 North: 8 lanes 

along U.S. 50/301 on the Western 

Shore, 8 lanes across the Chesapeake 

Bay on a new bridge to the north of 

the existing bridge, 8 lanes along U.S. 

50/301 on the Eastern Shore 

• Alternative E—8–8–8 South: 8 lanes 

along U.S. 50/301 on the Western 

Shore, 8 lanes across the Chesapeake 

Bay on a new bridge to the south of 

the existing bridge, 8 lanes along U.S. 

50/301 on the Eastern Shore 

• Alternative F—8–10–8 North: 8 lanes 

along U.S. 50/301 on the Western 

Shore, 10 lanes across the Chesapeake 

Bay on a new bridge to the north of 

the existing bridge, 8 lanes along U.S. 

50/301 on the Eastern Shore 

• Alternative G—8–10–8 South: 8 lanes 

along U.S. 50/301 on the Western 

Shore, 10 lanes across the Chesapeake 

Bay on a new bridge to the south of 

the existing bridge, 8 lanes along U.S. 

50/301 on the Eastern Shore 

All proposed build alternatives also 

include potential bus service 

improvements, Transportation System 

Management (TSM)/Transportation 

Demand Management (TDM) 

improvements, and consideration for 

the safe inclusion of a pedestrian/ 

bicycle shared use path on the new 

bridge. Additional information on the 

proposed ARDS, as well as maps and 

figures illustrating the study location are 

provided in the NOI Additional Project 

Information Document. 

Based on the public and agency 

comments received in response to this 

NOI and the public scoping meetings, 

MDTA and FHWA will determine the 

reasonable range of alternatives. These 

will be identified and evaluated as the 

ARDS in the Tier 2 DEIS. 

The MDTA and FHWA considered a 

number of additional options regarding 

the structure type, number of lanes, 

bridge location, travel mode (e.g., 

transit, ferry), and TSM/TDM strategies. 

These include a full-length tunnel, 

bridge-tunnel, double decker bridge, a 

6–6–6 lane configuration, a 10–10–10 

lane configuration, new bridge location 

fully between the existing Bay Bridge 

spans, a far-south new bridge location, 

ferry, high-capacity transit, ramp 

metering, express-local lanes, managed 

lanes, and a combined transit/TSM/ 

TDM option. These options are not 

included in the proposed ARDS because 

MDTA does not consider them 

reasonable given the study’s needs and 

objectives. Further information on the 

additional options considered but not 

recommended for advancement is 

included in the NOI Additional Project 

Information Document. The NOI 

Additional Project Information 

Document is available for review in the 

docket established for this study and on 

the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study 

website as noted in the ADDRESSES

section. 

Brief Summary of Expected Effects 

The Tier 2 Study EIS will evaluate 

potential effects to the human 

environment resulting from the 

reasonable range of alternatives. Based 

on information from the Tier 1 Study 

FEIS/ROD and early review of existing 

environmental conditions within and in 

proximity to U.S. 50/301 within the EIS 

study limits, the proposed action could 

result in direct, indirect, and/or 

cumulative effects to the following 

resources and environmental 

conditions: 

• Socioeconomic resources and land 

use (including communities and land 

use; economics and employment; and 

visual resources) 

• Minority and low-income populations 

• Cultural and historic resources 

• Section 4(f) and section 6(f) properties 

(including parks and recreational 

areas) 

• Natural resources (such as wetlands 

and waters; floodplains; water quality; 

Coastal Barrier Resource Systems and 

Chesapeake Bay Critical Areas; 

aquatic and terrestrial habitat and 

biota; rare, threatened, and 

endangered species; unique and 

sensitive areas; and hydrodynamics) 

• Hazardous materials 

• Air quality 

• Greenhouse gas (GHG) and climate 

change 

• Noise 

Direct, indirect, and cumulative 

effects to these resources will be 

assessed in the Tier 2 Study EIS. Based 

on data collection, evaluation, and 

coordination with regulatory agencies 

and the public to date, it is anticipated 

that potential effects to natural 

resources, socioeconomic resources and 

land use, minority and low-income 

populations, cultural and historic 

resources, and section 4(f) and section 

6(f) properties will be the focus of the 

Tier 2 Study EIS impact analysis. 

• Natural Resources: Wetlands and 

water resources, as well as the terrestrial 

environment including forests, could be 

impacted by the proposed build 

alternatives. 

• Socioeconomic Resources and Land 

Use: Potential effects to socioeconomic 

resources and land use include 

conversion of agriculture, forest, 

wetland, commercial, residential, and 

industrial land use adjacent to the U.S. 

50/301 roadway right-of-way (ROW). 

• Minority and Low-Income 

Populations: Potential effects to 

minority and low-income populations 

due to construction of a build 

alternative include, but are not limited 

to, conversion of commercial, 

residential, and industrial properties 

adjacent to the roadway ROW, as well 

as other potential environmental effects 

such as from noise and air quality that 

could affect these populations. 

• Cultural and Historic Resources: 

Cultural, historic and archaeological 

resources may be affected by the 

proposed build alternatives. 

• Section 4(f) and section 6(f) 

Properties: The build alternatives could 

result in permanent or temporary use of 

properties protected by section 4(f) of 

the U.S. Department of Transportation 

Act within the study limits. A Section 

4(f) Evaluation will be prepared to 

assess the potential permanent, 

temporary, constructive, or de minimis 

use of section 4(f) properties. Analysis 

of potential impacts to properties 

protected by section 6(f) of the Land and 

Water Conservation Fund Act will also 

be conducted to determine whether a 

conversion of any section 6(f) property 

would occur. 

Additional information on the 

expected impacts, including 

quantification of direct environmental 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
90348 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 221 / Friday, November 15, 2024 / Notices 

resource impacts potentially caused by 

the proposed ARDS, is provided in the 

NOI Additional Project Information 

Document available for review in the 

docket established for this study and on 

the Chesapeake Bay Crossing study 

website as noted in the ADDRESSES

section. Comments on the expected 

impacts to be analyzed in the Tier 2 

Study EIS are welcomed during the NOI 

comment period. 

Anticipated Permits, Other 

Authorizations, and Cooperating and 

Participating Agencies 

Anticipated permits and approvals 

(see NOI Additional Project Information 

Document (Table 7–1) for a detailed 

breakdown of anticipated permits and 

approvals) that could be required prior 

to the commencement of construction 

include: 

• US Army Corps of Engineers 

(USACE) Civil Works approvals under 

the section 408/River and Harbors Act— 

section 14, and Clean Water Act section 

404/River and Harbors Act—section 10, 

for review of impacts to Civil Works 

projects and the regulation of proposed 

discharges into Waters of the United 

States; 

• United States Coast Guard (USCG) 

approval under the General Bridge Act/ 

River and Harbors Act—section 9, for 

compliance with navigation 

requirements for bridges; 

• Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) approval for Obstruction 

Evaluation/Airport Airspace Analysis, 

for construction activities near airports; 

• Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) approval under the 

National Flood Insurance Program; 

• FHWA approval under section 4(f) 

of the U.S. Department of 

Transportation Act of 1966; 

• National Park Service (NPS) 

approval under the Land and Water 

Conservation Fund Act, section 6(f), for 

approval for the conversion of land or 

facilities acquired under the Land and 

Water Conservation Fund; 

• USFWS approvals under the Bald 

and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and 

Migratory Bird Treaty Act; 

• USFWS and National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS) approval under the Endangered 

Species Act and the Marine Mammal 

Act for federally protected species, as 

well as Fish and Wildlife Coordination 

Act, for the protection of species and 

coastal resources; 

• NOAA NMFS approval under the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act for 

Essential Fish Habitat; 

• Natural Resources Conservation 

Service (NRCS) approval under the 

Farmland Protection Policy Act for the 

conversion of farmland; 

• Maryland Department of the 

Environment (MDE) approvals under 

the Clean Water Act, section 401, 

Nontidal Wetlands Protection Act & 

Program, Sediment & Erosion Control 

Program, Stormwater Management 

regulations, Waterways Construction 

Statute, and MDE/Maryland Board of 

Public Works (BPW) approval under the 

Tidal Wetlands Act & Program, for 

consistency with water quality 

requirements and minimization of 

erosion, flooding, and impacts to 

wetlands; 

• Maryland Department of Natural 

Resources (MDNR) approvals under the 

Coastal Zone Consistency & Coastal 

Zone Management Program, Forest 

Conservation Act, Nongame and 

Endangered Species Conservation Act, 

Reforestation Law, Roadside Tree Law, 

and MDNR Critical Area Commission 

approval under the Chesapeake Bay 

Critical Area Law, for the protection of 

roadside trees, forests, State threatened 

and endangered species, wetlands, and 

coastal areas; 

• Maryland Department of Planning 

(MDP) coordination for the Maryland 

Smart Growth Act, for the preservation 

of resources and prevention of 

sprawling development into rural areas; 

• State Historic Preservation Officer/ 

Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) 

consultation under section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act, 

including consultation with the 

Advisory Council on Historic 

Preservation (ACHP) as appropriate, for 

the protection of historic properties and 

resolution of any adverse effects; and 

• SHA coordination for evaluation of 

alternatives that could affect SHA 

roadways and ROW. 

Cooperating agencies include: 

USACE, USCG, EPA, NMFS, USFWS, 

NPS, SHA, MDE, and MDNR. 

Participating agencies include: the 

Federal Transit Administration (FTA), 

Advisory Council on Historic 

Preservation (ACHP), U.S. Navy—Naval 

Facilities Engineering Systems 

Command (NAVFAC), FEMA, FAA, 

Maryland Transit Administration 

(MTA), Maryland Port Administration 

(MPA), MDP, Maryland Department of 

Emergency Management (MDEM), 

BPW—Wetlands Division (BPW), MHT, 

Maryland Aviation Administration 

(MAA), Delaware Department of 

Transportation (DelDOT), Queen Anne’s 

County, Anne Arundel County, and 

Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC). 

The MDTA does not anticipate 

submitting applications for permits and 

approvals that require design-level 

detail as part of NEPA or immediately 

following completion of the NEPA 

environmental review process. Per 23 

U.S.C. 139(d)(10), the aforementioned 

permits and authorizations should be 

completed by no later than 90 days after 

the issuance of the Record of Decision. 

However, for this project the MDTA has 

requested in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 

139(d)(10)(C)(ii) that those permits and 

authorizations follow a different 

timeline because the construction date 

is not expected until 2032. The 

development and review of applications 

for permits and other approvals will be 

completed as more detailed design and 

construction engineering progresses 

beyond the Tier 2 Study EIS. The NEPA 

study will be coordinated with the 

federal and state regulatory agencies 

based on their role as Cooperating and 

Participating Agencies. 

Anticipated permits and approvals 

that could be required prior to the 

commencement of construction are also 

provided in the NOI Additional Project 

Information Document, which is 

available for review in the docket 

established for this study and on the 

Chesapeake Bay Crossing study website 

as noted in the ADDRESSES section. 

Scoping and Public Review 

Public and agency outreach will 

include formal Public Scoping Meetings 

in December 2024. A virtual meeting 

will be held on December 4, 2024, 

followed by two in person meetings on 

December 9 and 11, 2024. The 

December 2024 Scoping Meetings will 

present information from the NOI 

Additional Project Information 

Document, including existing 

environmental conditions, the proposed 

ARDS for the proposed action, and their 

potential environmental impacts. Public 

Hearings on the Tier 2 Study DEIS are 

anticipated in late 2025. 

Pre-NOI public engagement activities 

for the Tier 2 Study were initiated 

shortly after FHWA issued the Tier 1 

Study FEIS/ROD in spring 2022. To 

date, the MDTA has held two sets of 

Public Open Houses (one virtual Open 

House and two in-person Open Houses 

in September 2022 and one virtual Open 

House and two in-person Open Houses 

in September 2023), a Transit and 

Bicycle/Pedestrian Listening Meeting, 

and numerous community engagement 

events. The September 2022 meetings 

summarized the results of the Tier 1 

Study EIS, described the objectives of 

the Tier 2 Study and presented next 

steps in the Tier 2 Study. The 

September 2023 Open Houses presented 

the study’s proposed Purpose and Need 

and the alternatives development 


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process. Additional information on 

public engagement activities to date is 

provided in the NOI Additional Project 

Information Document available for 

review in the docket established for this 

study and on the Chesapeake Bay 

Crossing study website as noted in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

Nineteen Interagency Coordination 

Meetings (ICMs) to facilitate 

Cooperating and Participating agency 

coordination have been held since June 

2022. The MDTA and FHWA present 

information at ICMs about a variety of 

Tier 2 Study topics and seek agency 

feedback. All Cooperating and 

Participating agencies are encouraged to 

provide comments at ICMs. The ICMs 

will continue to be held throughout the 

NEPA environmental review process 

and development of the EIS. Additional 

information on agency coordination to 

date are provided in the NOI Additional 

Project Information Document available 

for review in the docket established for 

this study and on the Chesapeake Bay 

Crossing study website as noted in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

Public notice has been given of the 

date, time, and location of the Public 

Scoping Meetings. To assist in 

determining the scope of issues to be 

addressed and identifying the potential 

for important issues related to 

information in the NOI Additional 

Project Information Document, the 

public will have the opportunity to 

submit written comments at the Public 

Scoping Meetings and during the 

scoping comment period beginning on 

the date of this NOI publication. Public 

input received during the scoping 

process will be considered in the 

development of the Tier 2 Study EIS. 

Once complete, the Tier 2 Study DEIS 

will be available for public and agency 

review and comment prior to the DEIS 

Public Hearing and for public review at 

the Tier 2 Study DEIS Public Hearing. 

All substantive public comments on the 

Tier 2 Study DEIS will be addressed in 

the Tier 2 Study FEIS. 

The FHWA intends to issue a single 

document that consists of the Tier 2 

Study FEIS and ROD pursuant to 49 

U.S.C. 304a(b) [and 23 U.S.C. 139(n)(2)] 

unless FHWA determines that statutory 

criteria or practicability considerations 

preclude issuance of such a combined 

document. 

Schedule for the Decision-Making 

Process 

The Tier 2 Study EIS schedule will be 

established as part of the requirements 

of the NEPA environmental review 

process under 23 U.S.C. 139 and will 

comply with 40 CFR 1501.10(b)(2), 

which requires that environmental 

reviews for major infrastructure projects 

occur within two years, and all 

necessary authorizations be issued 

efficiently and in a timely manner, in 

cooperation with FHWA. 

Following the issuance of this NOI, 

FHWA and MDTA will coordinate with 

the Participating and Cooperating 

Agencies to develop study 

documentation and the Tier 2 Study 

DEIS. 

The anticipated study schedule is 

outlined below: 

• Public Scoping Meetings (December 

2024) 

• End of Scoping Comment Period 

(January 2025) 

• Evaluation of Alternatives Retained 

for Detailed Study (February 2025– 

June 2025) 

• MDTA’s Recommended Preferred 

Alternative (July 2025) 

• Tier 2 Study DEIS Notice of 

Availability (NOA) (November 2025) 

• Tier 2 Study DEIS Comment Period 

and Public Hearings (December 2025) 

• Tier 2 Study Final EIS/ROD 

(November 2026) 

• Procurement for Final Design (Fall 

2026–Spring 2028) 

• Commence Final Design (Spring 2028) 

• Permit Applications/Authorization 

Requests Submitted (Spring 2030) 

• All Permit Decisions and 

Authorizations Issued (Spring 2031) 

• Commence Construction (Summer 

2032) 

Request for Identification of Potential 

Alternatives, Information, and 

Analyses Relevant to the Proposed 

Action 

With this Notice, FHWA and MDTA 

request and encourage State, Tribal, and 

local government agencies, and the 

public, to review the NOI and NOI 

Additional Project Information 

Document and submit comments on any 

aspect of the study. To ensure that all 

potential alternatives, important issues, 

or environmental impacts and analyses 

relevant to the proposed action are 

considered in the Tier 2 Study DEIS, 

comments and suggestions are invited 

from all interested parties. Specifically, 

agencies and the public are asked to 

comment on the purpose and need, 

proposed ARDS, the existing 

environmental conditions and potential 

impacts, and the identification of any 

relevant information, studies, or 

analyses concerning impacts affecting 

the quality of the human environment 

for consideration by the Lead and 

Cooperating Agencies in developing the 

Tier 2 Study DEIS. The purpose of this 

request is to bring relevant comments 

and information to FHWA’s and 

MDTA’s attention as early in the process 

as possible to enable the agencies to 

make maximum use of this information 

in decision making. 

Comments must be received by 

January 13, 2025. Comments or 

questions concerning this proposed 

action, including comments relative to 

proposed ARDS, information and 

analyses, should be directed to FHWA 

and MDTA at the addresses provided in 

the ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 23 

U.S.C. 139; 23 CFR part 771. 

Valeriya Remezova, 

Division Administrator, Federal Highway 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–26545 Filed 11–14–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

[Docket No. FHWA–2024–0018] 

Withdrawal of a Notice of Intent To 

Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement for a Proposed Highway 

Project in Clark County, Nevada 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), Department of 

Transportation (USDOT). 

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA and the Nevada 

Department of Transportation (NDOT) 

are issuing this notice to advise the 

public that they are withdrawing the 

Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

published in the Federal Register for 

transportation improvements to a 

section of Interstate 11 (formerly I–515)/ 

US 95/US 93 in the City of Las Vegas, 

Clark County, Nevada. The project is 

commonly referred to as the Downtown 

Access Project. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

For Federal Highway Administration: 

Abdelmoez Abdalla, Environmental 

Program Manager, FHWA Nevada 

Division, 705 N. Plaza, Suite 220, 

Carson City, NV 89701; Telephone: 

(775) 687–1231, email: 

abdelmoez.abdalla@dot.gov. 

For the Nevada Department of 

Transportation (NDOT): Danja Petro, 

Senior Project Manager, Nevada 

Department of Transportation, 123 E 

Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89101; 

Telephone: (702) 671–8865, email: 

dpetro@dot.nv.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

FHWA, in coordination with NDOT, 

published an NOI on March 22, 2024, at 

89 FR 20530, to prepare an EIS for 

transportation improvements to a 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES