Environmental Impact Statement: Bellevue, King County, WA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement: Bellevue, King County, WA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent (ref. 12-1-94, FR Vol. 59, No.230)

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration is issuing this notice to

advise the public that the purpose and scope of the Environmental

Impact Statement proposed in the notice published in the Federal

Register of December 1, 1994, has been substantially modified. The

original NOI stated that an environmental impact statement (EIS) would

be prepared for a proposed modification to a freeway interchange in

King County, Washington, and that the modification would include

realignment of the NE 8th St./I-405 interchange and implementation of a

one-way couplet along NE 8th and NE 10th Streets.'' The scope of the

proposes EIS will be expanded to include other alternatives that would

add or modify access points on I-405 from NE 4th Street to NE 10th

Street and improve traffic circulation between I-405 and downtown

Bellevue.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gene K. Fong, Federal Highway Administration, Evergreen Plaza Building,

711 South Capital Way, Suite 501, Olympia, Washington 98501, Telephone:

(360) 753-9554; Robert D. Aye, Acting Region Administrator, Washington

State Department of Transportation, Northwest Region, 15700 Dayton

Avenue North, Seattle, Washington 98133-9710, Telephone: (206) 440-

4691; Hank Howard, City of Bellevue Transportation Department, P.O. Box

90012, Bellevue Washington 98009-9012, Telephone: (202) 455-6867.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Washington

State Department of Transportation and the City of Bellevue,

Washington, will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on a

proposal to modify I-405 access to and from downtown Bellevue. The

proposed improvements are considered necessary to accommodate the

existing and projected traffic demand between downtown Bellevue and I-

405, to relieve existing traffic congestion at the I-405/NE 8th Street

freeway interchange, and to support improved high-occupancy-vehicle

(HOV) access and usage.

Three build alternatives and a no-action alternative are presently

under consideration. One build alternative would modify the interchange

to provide I-405 access to NE 10th Street and to modify I-405 access

from NE 8th Street. This alternative would include new ramps connecting

NE 10th Street with I-405 and modifications to the existing ramps

connecting NE 8th Street to I-405. It would also convert NE 8th and NE

10th Streets from I-405 to Bellevue Way to a one-way couplet system

(both streets have two-way traffic at present) and provide for

additional lanes at the intersection of NE 8th Street and 116th Avenue.

This alternative was the only build alternative under consideration

when the original Notice of Intent was issued. The second build

alternative would widen the NE 8th Street/I-405 overpass, modify the

existing southbound I-405 off-ramp at NE 8th Street, and construct a

new HOV/transit interchange at NE 6th Street/I-405. NE 8th Street and

the I-405 overpass would be widened from west of 112th Avenue to east

of 116th Avenue to include an additional eastbound lane and provide for

dual left turn lanes at the NE 8th Street/116th Avenue intersection.

The existing southbound I-405 off-ramp to westbound NE 8th Street would

also be modified to divert traffic to NE 10th Street. In conjunction

with this ramp modification, 112th Avenue would be widened from NE 8th

Street to NE 10th Street. The alternative would construct new ramps to

the proposed I-405 inside HOV lanes at NE 6th Street and remove the

existing HOV restrictions at NE 4th Street and I-405. The third build

alternative would construct a new two-way viaduct over I-405 connecting

NE 8th Street to NE 10th Street, provide I-405 access to and from NE

10th Street, and modify an existing I-405 on-ramp at NE 8th Street. The

new two-way viaduct, with one lane in each direction, would connect NE

8th Street east of 116th Avenue to NE 10th Street at 112th Avenue. The

existing southbound to westbound I-405 off-ramp at NE 8th Street would

be relocated to NE 10th St. A new on-ramp would be constructed on NE

10th Street to provide new access to southbound I-405. In addition, NE

10th Street would be widened between 112th and 110th Avenue. The

existing westbound to southbound I-405 on-ramp at NE 8th would be

modified to accommodate these changes.

This EIS is being prepared because City of Bellevue officials

believe that the project could have significant impacts related to land

use and development and to visual quality. Although air quality is an

issue of concern, no significant air quality impact are

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anticipated from project implementation.

Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will

be sent to appropriate Federal, State and local agencies, affected

tribes, and private organizations and citizens who have previously

expressed or are known to have interest in this proposal. An open house

and new public scoping meeting was held on June 27th, 1996 to provide

information and seek public input on the proposed alternatives. An open

house and public hearing will be held to receive comments on the draft

EIS after it is circulated. The draft EIS will be available for public

and agency review and comment prior to the public hearing. Public

notice will be given of the time and place of the open house and

hearing and the availability of the draft EIS.

To assure 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, or requests to

be added to the mailing list 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: June 26, 1996.

Jose M. Miranda,

Environmental Program Manager Olympia, Washington.

[FR Doc. 96-17132 Filed 7-3-96; 8:45 am]

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