[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 31 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7504-7505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-695]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement; Dodge and Steele Counties, MN

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 proposed 
highway improvements to United States Highway 14 (Highway 14) from the 
existing four-lane bypass of Dodge Center to the intersection of 
Highway 14 and Interstate 35 (I-35) in Owatonna, a distance of 
approximately 19 miles, in Dodge and Steele Counties, Minnesota.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Martin, Federal Highway 
Administration, Galtier Plaza, 380 Jackson Street, Suite 500, St. Paul, 
Minnesota 55101, Telephone (651) 291-6120; or Richard Augustin, Project 
Manager, Minnesota Department of Transportation--District 6, 2900 48th 
Street, NW., Rochester, Minnesota 55901, Telephone (507) 280-5092; 
(800) 627-3529 TTY.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Minnesota 
Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), will prepare an EIS on a 
proposal to reconstruct Highway 14 from the existing four-lane bypass 
of Dodge Center, Dodge County, to the intersection of Highway 14 and I-
35 in Owatonna, Steele County, Minnesota, a distance of approximately 
19 miles. The proposed action is being considered to address future 
transportation demand and safety problems and to enhance system 
continuity.
    This segment of Highway 14 was previously included in an EIS 
process, which addressed a broader 24-mile segment of Highway 14 from 
Owatonna to Kasson. The Draft EIS for the Owatonna to Kasson project 
was approved in October 1991 and the Final EIS was approved in August 
1993. The 1993 Final EIS defined two project segments. The first was an 
extension of the four-lane, divided expressway from Kasson to the west 
side of Dodge Center at Highway 56 (including the Dodge Center bypass). 
At the time of the EIS, this project was programmed for construction in 
1994. The second segment involved extending the four lanes from Highway 
56 to Highway 218 in Owatonna. This segment was not programmed for 
construction when the EIS was completed. Since the 1993 Final EIS, the 
Kasson to Dodge Center segment has been constructed as a four-lane 
highway, including a freeway design bypass of Dodge Center. The ``1993 
preferred alternative'' for the segment between Dodge Center and 
Owatonna has not been constructed. With the completion of the Dodge 
Center to Kasson segment, and the imminent completion of the Highway 14 
improvements west of I-35, a process was started to re-evaluate the 
1993 EIS conclusions regarding the Owatonna to Dodge Center segment. 
This segment continues to increase in priority given traffic growth, 
safety concerns, and the logic of completing the last segment of 
Highway 14 between Mankato and Rochester to be expanded to a four-lane 
highway. Based on a review of the 1993 EIS and the changes in 
transportation needs that have taken place since 1993, it was concluded 
that a new EIS for the Owatonna to Dodge Center segment should be 
completed for the following reasons:

--The vision for Highway 14 has changed to a controlled access freeway 
design, as opposed to the expressway design determined by the 1993 EIS, 
due to overall traffic growth, safety concerns, access spacing issues, 
driver expectation and increased truck traffic and,
--The previously identified preferred alternative of expanding on the

[[Page 7505]]

existing corridor rather than a new corridor parallel to the Dakota, 
Minnesota & Eastern Railroad that was considered in the 1993 EIS needs 
to be revisited.

    The EIS will evaluate the social, economic, transportation and 
environmental impacts of alternatives, including: (1) No-Build, (2) 
Reconstruction on existing alignment, and (3) Construction on partial 
new alignment.
    The ``US 14 EIS from Owatonna to Dodge Center Scoping Document/
Draft Scoping Decision Document'' was published in November 2006. A 
press release was published to inform the public of the document's 
availability. Copies of the scoping document was distributed to 
agencies, interested persons and libraries for review to aid in 
identifying issues and analyses to be contained in the EIS. A thirty-
day comment period for review of the document was provided to afford an 
opportunity for all interested persons, agencies and groups to comment 
on the proposed action. A public scoping meeting was also held during 
the comment period. Public notice was given for the time and place of 
the meeting. The scoping comment period closed on December 22, 2006. 
The ``US 14 EIS Scoping Decision Document'' is expected to be published 
in February 2007. A Draft EIS will be prepared based on the outcome of 
and closely following the scoping process. The Draft EIS will be 
available for agency and public review and comment. In addition, a 
public hearing will be held following completion of the Draft EIS. 
Public Notice will be given for the time and place of the public 
hearing on the Draft EIS. Coordination has been initiated and will 
continue with appropriate Federal, State and local agencies and private 
organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are known 
to have an interest in the proposed action. ``Participating agencies'' 
have been identified and a meeting held on October 25, 2006 to discuss 
the project and receive input on the ``purpose and need'' for the 
project and range of alternatives to be studied in the Draft EIS. To 
ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed action 
are 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 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 program)

    Issued on: February 8, 2007
Cheryl B. Martin,
Environmental Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, St. Paul, 
Minnesota.
[FR Doc. 07-695 Filed 2-14-07; 8:45 am]
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