[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 111 (Friday, June 7, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 29164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-14339]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement; Wake County, NC

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation (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 will be prepared for a proposed highway 
project in Wake County, North Carolina.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Roy Shelton, Operations Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 
310 New Bern Avenue, Suite 410, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601, 
Telephone: (919) 856-4350.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the North 
Carolina Department of Transportation, will prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) on a proposal to construct the Western Wake 
Expressway, a multi-lane, controlled access freeway on new location. 
The proposed action will be a link in the Wake Outer Loop, a 
circumferential freeway encompassing the City of Raleigh, and the Towns 
of Cary, Apex, Garner, and Morrisville. The proposed Western Wake 
Expressway will be located generally west of existing NC 55, tying into 
the Northern Wake Expressway (now under construction) near SR 1630 at 
NC 55 and terminating at NC 55 north of SR 1172, south of Apex. The 
proposed action will be approximately 20.52 kilometers (12.75 miles) in 
length.
    Construction of the proposed freeway is considered necessary to 
accommodate the existing and projected traffic demand in this rapidly 
growing portion of Wake County. Also included in the proposal is 
construction of interchanges at NC 55, US 1, and US 64, as well as an 
interchange at a forth undetermined location. Alternatives under 
consideration include: (1) Taking no action; (2) using alternative 
travel modes; (3) widening existing NC 55 from two-lanes to a multi-
lane facility; and, (4) construction of a multi-lane, controlled access 
facility on new location. Design variations of alignment and grade will 
be incorporated into the study of each of the build alternatives.
    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 previously expressed or are 
known to have an interest in this proposal. A formal scoping meeting 
with various Federal, State, and local agencies will be held at 10:00 
a.m. on June 17, 1996 at the Transportation Building, 1 South 
Wilmington Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. Two citizen information 
workshops will be held in the project area between July, 1996 and 
April, 1997. In addition, a public hearing will be held. Public notice 
will be given of the time and place of the workshops 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 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: May 29, 1996.
Roy Shelton,
Operations Engineer, Raleigh.
[FR Doc. 96-14339 Filed 6-6-96; 8:45 am]
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