Environmental Impact Statement: Pierce County, Washington

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement: Pierce County, Washington

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 II Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for the

proposed extension of the SR 167 freeway in Pierce County, Washington

from SR 161 (Meridian Street North) in the city of Puyallup to the SR

509 freeway (east west road alignment) in the city of Tacoma.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gene Fong, Division Administrator,

Federal Highway Administration, 711 South Capitol Way, Suite 501,

Olympia, WA 98501, telephone: (360) 753-9413; Don Nelson, Assistant

Secretary, Environmental and Engineering Service Center, PO Box, 47323,

Olympia, WA 98504, telephone: (360) 705-7101; and/or Gary Demich, P.E.,

Region Administrator, Olympic Region, Washington State Department of

Transportation, 5720 Capitol Boulevard, PO Box 47440, Olympia, WA

98504, telephone: (360) 357-2605; and/or Dennis Engel, P.E., Project

Engineer, Consultant Design Office, 6639 Capitol Boulevard, P.O. Box

47443, Olympia, WA 98504, telephone: (360) 570-6640.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with Washington

State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will prepare a Tier II

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to determine the most feasible

alignment alternative of the SR 167 freeway which will meet purpose and

need of the proposed project, while balancing environmental needs. The

freeway extension will be approximately 9.7 kilometers (6.0 mile) in

length. The freeway is expected to require six lanes including HOV

lanes. The HOV lanes will be constructed when warranted.

The purpose of the project is to improve regional mobility of the

transportation system to better serve multi-modal freight and passenger

movement between SR 167, SR 410, and SR 512 and the Interstate 5

corridor and the new SR 509 freeway; reduce congestion and improve

safety on the arterials and intersections in the study area. The

proposed segment will provide system continuity between the SR 167

corridor and Interstate 5; and maintain or improve air quality in the

corridor to ensure compliance with the current State Implementation

Plan and requirements of the Clean Air Act.

There are a number of problems associated with the non-freeway

segment of SR 167 through Puyallup and Fife to the Interstate 5

corridor/Port of Tacoma/Fife area. The non-freeway segment, which is an

incomplete part of the north Pierce County freeway system as planned,

is on the existing surface street system and includes a circuitous

route through Puyallup on the existing inadequate SR 167, and Fife via

Valley Avenue and 54th Avenue East. These existing, highly congested

facilities serve as a major truck route for the Port of Tacoma. Several

intersections along these routes operate at over capacity conditions

during peak hours resulting in traffic backups and delays. The heavy

truck traffic on the non-freeway segment also exacerbate the safety

problem. Accident ratios, on the non-freeway segment of SR 167, are 20

to 70 percent high er than statewide averages for similar highways due

to high level of congestion at intersections and intersecting

driveways.

Tier I FEIS was completed in April 1999. The FHWA concurred with

WSDOT in the selection of corridor Alternative 2 for completing State

Route 167 from State Route 161 to State Route 509 and signed a Record

of Decision in June 1999. A complete description of all alternative

studied, including general design elements sufficient to compare

alternatives and environmental impacts, is included in the Tier I FEIS

(FHWA-WA-EIS-1993-2-F). This document is available for review at local

libraries.

The Tier II EIS process will consist of performing engineering

analyses on alternative alignments within the selected corridor to

determine the negative environmental consequences and evaluate ways to

avoid, minimize or mitigate for those consequences at the conclusion of

the Tier II process. The do-nothing alternative will also be evaluated.

Ultimately, the overall, environmentally preferred alternative will be

identified and adopted as appropriate.

Two scoping meetings are planned on July 13, 1999, for agencies,

organizations and the public. Time and location for the meetings will

be announced by letters, local newspaper and/or through news letters.

Subsequent to the scoping meetings, continued public involvement

opportunities are included in the EIS public involvement plan. These

include newsletters, community workshops, a project web site,

bulletins, stakeholder interviews, paid media advertisements, and

formation of Citizen Advisory Committee to ensure public information

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and to generate input in the project as it advances through the

development/EIS process. A Partners Committee, made up of sponsoring

agencies and municipalities in the area, has been formed to

cooperatively deal with issues as they arise.

Announcements describing the proposed action and soliciting input

on the project will be sent to the appropriate Federal, State, and

local agencies, affected Indian Tribes, private organizations, and

citizens who have previously expressed or are known to have an interest

in this proposal. A series of open houses will be scheduled during the

project development process as a part of the EIS public involvement

plan. Input from these open houses and scoping meetings will be used to

help identify the design alternatives for study in the EIS. A public

hearing will be held after the release of the Draft EIS to receive

public and agency comments. There will be public notice announcing the

time and place of future meetings and the 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 have been identified,

comments and suggestion are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS

should be directed to the FHWA or WSDOT at the addresses and phone

numbers provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,

Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations

implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental

consultantion on Federal programs and activities apply to this

program)

Issued on: June 25, 1999.

James Leonard,

Transportation and Environmental Engineer, FHWA Washington Division.

[FR Doc. 99-16853 Filed 7-1-99; 8:45 am]

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