[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 183 (Friday, September 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54450-54451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21933]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Kern County, CA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of 
Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this notice to advise the public 
that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for the 
proposed Centennial Corridor highway project in Kern County, 
California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Gassner, Senior Environmental 
Planner, Southern Sierra Environmental Analysis Branch, Caltrans, 2015 
E. Shields Avenue, Suite 100, Fresno, California 93726 or call (559) 
243-8243.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Effective July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned, and Caltrans assumed, 
environmental responsibilities for this project pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 
327. Caltrans as the delegated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
agency will prepare an EIS on a route adoption study to extend State 
Route 58 westerly to connect to Interstate 5, in Kern County, 
California. In addition, this EIS would provide environmental 
compliance documentation for construction of the project from State 
Route 58 to Heath Road. For purposes of the EIS, the project, known as 
the Centennial Corridor, is being evaluated in three segments. Two of 
the segments, from Interstate 5 to Heath Road and from Heath Road to 
Mohawk Street (Westside Parkway), have been the subject of previous 
NEPA documents. This EIS will incorporate by reference the previous 
documents: Final Route 58 Route Adoption Project, A Tier 1 
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Tier 1 EIS/
EIR) (2002) and the Westside Parkway Environmental Assessment/Final 
Environmental Impact Report (EA/FEIR) (2006). This EIS will serve as a 
revalidation of the previous analysis.
    The final segment of the Centennial Corridor, from Mohawk Street to 
State Route 58, will be evaluated at a construction level of analysis 
and will address multiple alternatives. Alternative alignments 
currently being evaluated include options west of State Route 99, east 
of State Route 99, and parallel to State Route 99, as well as a ``No 
Build'' alternative, a transit alternative, and a transportation 
systems management alternative. All of the build alternative alignments 
would connect State Route 58 to the east end of the Westside Parkway 
project. Caltrans will continue to screen the alternatives identified 
through the scoping process and only carry forward those alternatives 
that are considered viable for evaluation in the EIS. The following 
alternatives are currently under consideration: Alternative A proposes 
to construct a new freeway west of the State Route 58/99 interchange. 
The alignment would travel in a westerly direction for approximately 
one mile on the south side of Stockdale Highway, at which point it 
would turn in a northwesterly direction and span the Carrier Canal, 
Truxtun Avenue, and the Kern River. The proposed route would then 
connect to the Westside Parkway alignment between Mohawk Street and 
Coffee Road. The total length of the project from the existing State 
Route 99/State Route 58 interchange to Interstate 5 utilizing 
Alternative A would be approximately 16.31 miles.
    Alternative B proposes to construct a new freeway west of the State 
Route 58/99 interchange. The alignment would travel in a westerly 
direction for approximately one-half mile on the south side of 
Stockdale Highway, at which point it would turn to the northwest, span 
the Carrier Canal, Truxtun Avenue, and the Kern River. Alternative B 
would connect to the Westside Parkway alignment at the Mohawk Street 
interchange. The total length of the project from the existing State 
Route 99/State Route 58 interchange to Interstate 5 utilizing 
Alternative B is approximately 16.61 miles.
    Alternative C proposes to connect existing State Route 58 to the 
Westside Parkway by means of routing new lanes adjacent and parallel to 
existing State Route 99. These additional lanes would run parallel to 
and independent of State Route 99. Movements between State Route 58, 
State Route 99 and the Westside Parkway would likely be facilitated by 
braided ramps and freeway-to-freeway connector ramps. The total length 
of the project from State Route 99 to Interstate 5 utilizing 
Alternative C is approximately 18.51 miles.
    Alternative D proposes to construct a new freeway in the vicinity 
of Union Avenue (State Route 204). The roadway would extend north from 
State Route 58 for approximately one mile, where it would turn to the 
west and run parallel to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad 
tracks. Alternative D would connect to the Westside Parkway alignment 
at the new interchange at Mohawk Street. The total length of the 
project from State Route 58 at Union Avenue to Interstate 5 is 
approximately 18.98 miles.
    The ``No Build'' alternative, would not construct any improvements. 
State Route 58--East would continue to end at State Route 99 where it 
would jog to the north to tie into State Route 58--West (Rosedale 
Highway). The Westside Parkway would be constructed as a local 
facility, but would not connect to State Route 58, State Route 99, or 
Interstate 5.
    Alternative M would evaluate Transit and Transportation Systems

[[Page 54451]]

Management (TSM) improvements. TSM focuses on low capital, 
environmentally-responsive improvements that maximize efficiency of 
existing facilities. An example of TSM improvements would be providing 
signal interconnects to facilitate the flow of traffic or providing bus 
turn-out bays to minimize the interruption of buses along a specific 
route. Specific transit and TSM measures have not been developed at 
this point. Preliminary traffic data is required to determine the most 
effective transit and TSM measures. Once the traffic data is available 
it would be determined if transit and TSM improvements would be 
separate alternatives or if it is more effective to evaluate a single 
alternative that includes both transit and TSM improvements.
    It is anticipated that the proposed project may require the 
following federal permits and approvals: A Biological Opinion from the 
United States Fish & Wildlife Service, approval of a PM<INF>10</INF>-
PM<INF>2.5</INF> Hot Spot Analysis by the Inter-Agency Consultation 
Committee, an Air Quality Conformity determination from the Federal 
Highway Administration, Section 401, 402 and 404 permits under the 
Clean Water Act and a Farmland Conversion Impact Rating for Corridor 
Type Projects from the United States Soil Conservation Service. Letters 
describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will be sent to 
appropriate Federal, State, local and participating agencies. In 
addition, the following Native American groups have been notified: The 
Chumash Council of Bakersfield, Kawaiisu Tribe, Kawaiisu Tribe of the 
Tejon Indian Reservation, Kern Valley Indian Community, Kern Valley 
Paiute Council, Kawaiisu Band of Kern Valley Indians, Kudzubitcwanap 
Palap Tribe, Native American Heritage Council of Kern County, Santa 
Rosa Rancheria--Tachi Yokuts Tribe, Tubatalabals of Kern Valley, 
Tinoqui--Chalola Council of Kitanemuk and Yowlumne Tejon Indians, Tule 
River Indian Reservation and the White Blanket Paiute Rancheria. 
Private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are 
known to have interest in this proposal have also received notification 
on the project. The environmental scoping process began in March 2008. 
Public information meetings were held on March 4, 2008, May 22, 2008, 
July 21, 2008, and August 21, 2008, in Bakersfield, California. Several 
community focus meetings have been and are continuing to be held in 
neighborhoods affected by the proposed project alternatives.
    A scoping meeting will be held on October 2, 2008. The meeting will 
be held for agencies from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Thomas Roads 
Improvement Program Offices located at 900 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 200, 
Bakersfield, California. The meeting for the public will be held from 
4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Kern County Administrative Offices, in 
the Building Rotunda located at 1115 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, 
California to provide additional opportunities for agency and public 
input on the proposed project. Public notice will be given of the time 
and place of the meeting.
    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 Caltrans 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: September 11, 2008.
Nancy Bobb,
Director, State Programs, Federal Highway Administration, Sacramento, 
California.
[FR Doc. E8-21933 Filed 9-18-08; 8:45 am]
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