[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8391-8392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-629]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement: East Baton Rouge, West 
Baton Rouge, Iberville, Ascension, and Livingston Parishes, LA

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 a 
Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

[[Page 8392]]

will be prepared for a proposed toll highway facility in the vicinity 
of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Carl M. Highsmith, Project 
Delivery Team Leader, Federal Highway Administration, 5304 Flanders 
Drive, Suite A, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808, Telephone: (225) 757-
7615, or Mr. Bryan K. Harmon, City of Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton 
Rouge, Department of Public Works, Engineering Division, Deputy 
Director/Chief Engineer, Room 409, Municipal Building, 300 North 
Boulevard, Post Office Box 1471, Baton Rouge, LA 70821, Telephone: 
(225) 389-3186. Project information can be found at the project 
Internet Web site at http://www.brloop.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Capital 
Area Expressway Authority, and the City of Baton Rouge, Parish of East 
Baton Rouge, Louisiana will prepare a Tier 1 EIS on corridor 
alternatives for the proposed Baton Rouge Loop. The Baton Rouge Loop is 
planned on new location around Baton Rouge, Louisiana connecting I-10 
west of Baton Rouge to I-10 south of Baton Rouge, I-10 west of Baton 
Rouge to I-12 east of Baton Rouge (which includes an interchange with 
I-110), and I-10 south of Baton Rouge to I-12 east of Baton Rouge. The 
project would include one or two major bridge crossings of the 
Mississippi River. the prototype corridor is approximately 77 miles 
long. The proposed facility would be controlled access toll road on new 
location that would initially have four lanes with provision to expand 
to six lanes. Major arterials that must be traversed, or incorporated 
into the complete Loop project may include: Interstate 10, Interstate 
12, Interstate 100, US 190 (West Baton Rouge Parish), Scenic Highway 
(US 61), Airline Highway (US 190), Plank Road (LA 67), Harding 
Boulevard/Hooper Road (LA 408), Blackwater Road (LA 410), Joor Road (LA 
946), Range Road (LA 16), Arnold Road (LA 1025), Walker Road North (LA 
447), River Road (LA 327), Gardere Lane (LA 327), Bluebonnet Boulevard, 
Nicholson Road (LA 30), Airline Highway (US 61), LA 42, LA 44, and 
Walker Road South (LA 447).
    The new facility is considered necessary to provide for existing 
and future traffic demand and to improve the hurricane evacuation 
system. At a minimum, the current project will examine, in addition to 
the no build alternative, three corridor build alternatives to be 
identified in the Baton Rouge Loop Implementation Plan, which is a 
planning study to identify engineering, environmental, financial, and 
community input factors that are important elements in the 
identification of potential loop corridors. The Tier 1 EIS is being 
initiated concurrently with the completion of the latter stages of the 
Implementation Plan. When the full loop corridor is established as a 
result of the Tier 1 EIS, one or more Tier 2 EIS's will be initiated to 
select an alignment within the corridor and detailed design features 
for individual segments of independent utility.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, local agencies, tribes, elected 
officials and to private organizations and citizens who have previously 
expressed or are known to have interest in this proposal. Numerous 
public meetings will be held throughout the term of the project. The 
first of these meetings, a series of public scoping meetings, will be 
conducted to provide the public with information about the project and 
an opportunity to assist in formulating the scope of the study. The 
public scoping meetings are scheduled as follows:
    <bullet> February 25th--East Baton Rouge Parish--BREC Headquarters.
    <bullet> February 26th--Ascension Parish--Gonzales Civic Center.
    <bullet> February 27th--Livingston Parish--North Park Recreation 
Center.
    <bullet> February 28th--West Baton Rouge Parish--Port Allen 
Community Center.
    <bullet> March 3rd--Iberville Parish--Plaquemine Civic Center.
    A formal scoping meeting for agency input will be scheduled soon 
after initiation of the EIS. In addition, a public hearing will be 
held. Public notice will be given of the time and place of the public 
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 
project 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 Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation of Federal programs and activities, apply to this 
program.)

    Authority: 23 U.S.C., 315; 23 CFR 771.123.

    Issued on: February 6, 2008.
Charles ``Wes'' Bolinger,
Division Administrator, FHWA, Louisiana Division, Baton Rouge, LA.
[FR Doc. 08-629 Filed 2-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M