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Environmental Impact Statement: Mariposa County, CA

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[Federal Register: January 24, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 16)]
[Notices]
[Page 4302-4303]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24ja08-133]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement: Mariposa 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 a
proposed highway project in Mariposa County, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Juergen Vespermann, Chief, San Joaquin
Valley Environmental Analysis Branch, Caltrans, 2015 East Shields
Avenue, Suite 100, Fresno CA, 93726, E-mail at 
juergen_vespermann@dot.ca.gov, telephone at (559) 243-8157.

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 will prepare an EIS on a proposal
for reopening and restoring full access to the section of State Route
140 damaged by the Ferguson rockslide in Mariposa County, California.
The project is located on State Route 140 from 8 miles east of
Briceburg, post mile 42.0, to approximately 7.6 miles west of El

[[Page 4303]]

Portal, post mile 42.7 in Mariposa County, California. The total length
of the project is 0.7 mile. This project is proposing the following
build alternatives:
    • Alternative C (Open-Cut Realignment) would realign the
highway to the northeast, spanning the Merced River and bypassing the
rockslide. State Route 140 would cut through the mountain across from
the rockslide and then span back across the river where it would meet
the existing alignment. Two bridges would be constructed to cross the
river.
    • Alternative T (Tunnel Realignment) would realign the
highway to the northeast, spanning the Merced River and bypassing the
rockslide. State Route 140 would tunnel 725 feet through the mountain
across from the rockslide and then span back across the river where it
would meet the existing alignment. Two bridges would be constructed to
cross the river.
    • Alternative S (Viaduct Realignment) would realign the
highway to the northeast, spanning the Merced River with two bridges
and bypassing the rockslide with a hillside viaduct and retaining wall.
    • No-Build Alternative would leave State Route 140 damaged
and blocked by the Ferguson rockslide. As a result of the No-Build
Alternative, the temporary detour would become the permanent State
Route 140 alignment. The current vehicle length restrictions would
remain in place along with the traffic signals controlling the single-
lane access through the detour. The structures for the temporary detour
were constructed during a declared emergency and were designed as a
temporary solution to the closure of State Route 140. These structures
would not meet standard design features nor would the detour meet the
purpose and need of the project.

Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will be
sent to appropriate Federal, State, Participating Agencies, the
American Indian Council of Mariposa County, the Yosemite-Mono Lake
Paiute Indian Community and local agencies, and to private
organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are known
to have interest in this proposal. Public hearings will be held in
Mariposa and El Portal, California. Public notice will be given of the
time and place of the hearings. The draft EIS will be available for
public and agency review and comment prior to the public hearings. An
Environmental Assessment was prepared and then circulated for agency
and public review on November 19, 2007. The circulation period was a
45-day review that ended on January 3, 2008. Based on agency and public
comments, Caltrans has decided to begin the preparation of an EIS.
Scoping meetings and hearings were previously held during May, June,
and November of 2007. The meetings and hearings were held at Mariposa
and El Portal, California.

    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: January 16, 2008.
Nancy Bobb,
Director, State Programs, Federal Highway Administration, Sacramento,
California.
[FR Doc. E8-1142 Filed 1-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P

 
 

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