Environmental Impact Statement; Snyder County, Union County, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
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Environmental Impact Statement; Snyder County, Union County,
[Federal Register: November 14, 1994]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway AdministrationEnvironmental Impact Statement; Snyder County, Union County, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice of advise the public that an Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for the proposed highway project in Penn Township, Monroe Township, Selinsgrove Borough, Hummels Wharf, and Shamokin Dam, Snyder County; Union Township, and East Buffalo Township, Union County; and Northumberland Borough, Milton Borough, East Chillisquaque Township, West Chillisquaque Township, Chillisquaque, Point Township, Turbot Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bradley D. Keazer, District Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 228 Walnut Street, P.O. Box 1086, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17108-1086, Telephone: (717) 782-4422, or John W. Leisenring, Project Manager, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, District 3-0, 715 Jordan Avenue, Montoursville, Pennsylvania 17754-0218, Telephone: (717) 368- 4328.SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to improve the safety and capacity on U.S. Routes 11 and 15 north of Selinsgrove in Snyder County, and Traffic Route 147 in Northumberland County. The approximate project length from the farthest north-south termini is 17 miles with a total study area of 35 square miles. Transportation improvements in this area are being studied for several reasons: <bullet> Between I-80 and Chillisquaque, T.R. 147 is a two-lane limited access roadway on four-lane limited access right-of-way. All structures over T.R. 147 were constructed to accommodate four lanes. <bullet> From I-80 north, T.R. 147 designation changes to I-80 and is a four-lane access highway. The accident data indicates T.R. 147 has a high accident rate with a substantial number of head-on collisions and fatalities.
<bullet> T.R. 147 has heavy truck traffic due to the expanding industrial development along T.R. 147 and utilization of T.R. 147 to access I-180 and I-80 to the north and U.S. Route 11 and 15 to the south.
<bullet> Utilization of T.R. 147 as an alternate to U.S. Route 15 to access I-80, I-180, and U.S. Route 11 has caused congestion and a high accident rate in the Borough of Northumberland. <bullet> The section of U.S. Route 11 and 15 through Shamokin Dam is heavily congested with a high percentage of trucks and a high accident rate. Because this area is highly commercialized, there is a conflict with the truck traffic, the thru traffic, and the business traffic entering and leaving the adjacent establishments. At the northern end of this section, U.S. Route 11 and 15 split, with the traffic either following Route 11 towards Northumberland to access T.R. 147 or using Route 15 north towards Lewisburg. Both routes provide access to I-80.
The project consists of evaluating the following: transportation systems management alternatives; the addition to two lanes to T.R. 147, making it a four-lane limited access route; a new river crossing to connect T.R. 147 to U.S. Route 15 south of Lewisburg; and upgrading and/or relocation of U.S. Routes 11 and 15 through the Shamokin Dam area. The full range of alternatives to be studied will be identified after completion of the Project Needs Assessment. Consideration will be given to separating this project into two independent projects after the Project Need Assessment and Phase I alternatives are complete. Should this be the case, a revised Notice of Intent will be issued.
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 interest in this proposal. A series of public agency meetings will be held throughout the development of the project. In addition, a public hearing will be held. Public notice will be given of the time and place of the meetings and hearing. The draft DEIS 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 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 or the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation at the addresses provided above.(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultations on Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)
Issued on: November 2, 1994.
Manuel A. Marks,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
[FR Doc. 94-27959 Filed 11-10-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-22-M
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