Osadczuk, Janice

Sadler, Lyle

English

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1Pre Tier 1 History • Purpose of Nationwide I-69 CorridorTo improve international and interstate trade in accordance with national and state goals; to facilitate economic development in accordance with state, regional and local policies and plans; to improve surface transportation consistent with national, state, regional and local needs and with the Congressional designation of the corridor.Pre Tier 1 History • Congressional Designation of  I-69 Corridor2Pre Tier 1 History • Nationwide I-69 Corridor Sections of Independent UtilityPre Tier 1 History• Southwest Indiana Highway Project– Consolidated into one project in 1992– One EIS for entire corridor– DEIS published in 19963Pre Tier 1 History• Southwest Indiana Highway Project DEIS (1996)– Significant interest from several groups– Two aspects of study received special attention in comments• Scoping (Is this truly an Evansville-to-Bloomington project?)• Purpose-and-NeedPurpose and Need• Purpose and Need Background – Pre Tier 1– Major object of USEPA comments• Stress on economic development suggest non-highway alternatives• Suggested specific strategies– Rural enterprise zones– Tax abatements– Freight rail improvements– Job training– Industrial development funding– High technology parks4Tiered EIS• Decided to prepare new study– Need to consider entire Evansville-to-Indianapolis connection– Need to give closer attention to Purpose and Need– To address concerns expressed by USEPA– Determined in 1999 to prepare as tiered study• Issued Notice of Intent in January 2000• Decision to be made on a corridor• Level of environmental analysis determined in consultation with agenciesTiered EIS• Noteworthy features of Tier 1 study– To focus on a corridor– Great attention to Purpose and Need– Coordination with resource agencies– High level of public involvement– Detailed attention to formal comments– High level of scrutiny to environmental documents5Tiered EIS• Significant Issues and Major Stakeholders• Section 106 issues– Amish area of Daviess County– Maryland Ridge– Patoka River bottoms– General approach to Section 106 in Tier 1• Defer eligibility determination to Tier 2• Defer boundary determinations to Tier 2I-69 Tier 1 –Record Of Decision• Approved March 24, 2004• Established Purpose & Need for I-69• Decision made on a Corridor– Exact alignment to be determined in Tier 2– Corridor is generally 2,000 feet in width• Wider or narrower in some places– Exact alignment of highway will require approximately 240 – 470 feet6Selected Corridor –Performance on Project Goals• Performed high on all three core goals & highest of allalternatives on three economic development goals• In SW Indiana, increases personal income by $173 millionannually; adds 4,600 permanent jobs to economy• Results in 40,000 fewer auto-related injuries over 20 years• Reduces travel time between Indianapolis & Evansville by 27 minutes, saving $1.1 billion in driver time & vehicle operating costs over 20 year period• Provides additional 37,000 Hoosiers 30-minute access to major urban areasTiered EIS• How Decide on 3C?– Selection of single preferred alternative• 3C selected for reasons of benefits and impacts– Performs higher on all three core goals– Performs highest of all three economic development goals– Lowest wetlands impacts of DEIS preferred alternatives– Lowest farmland impacts of DEIS preferred alternatives– Second lowest floodplain acres of DEIS preferred alternatives7Tiered EIS• How decide on 3C?– Selection of single preferred alternative• Highlights of 3C benefits– 27 minute Evansville-Indianapolis travel time savings– 4,500 truck hours saved daily– Added $173 million in annual personal income, SW Indiana– Added 4,600 permanent jobs in SW Indiana– Reduces serious crashed by 1,500 annually– Offers net economic benefits to all regions of SW Indiana– More than one-third is upgrade of existing 4-lane highway– Avoids many sensitive natural areas– Passes through Patoka NWR in reserved corridorPurpose and Need• Tier 2 Purpose and Need Indicators– Not redo Purpose and Need Analysis• Project goals and performance measures remain from Tier 1– Only some performance measures will be reported in Tier 2• Some will not influence alignment decision in corridor• e.g., region-wide employment– Some measures more relevant in some sections• e.g., congestion relief8Tier 2 Studies6 Sections142-mile Evansville to Indianapolis project is divided into six sections Each section is beingstudied independently 9Tier 2 StudiesTasks completed or nearly completed include . . .• Opened Project Office within each section• Identified property owners within / adjacent to the project corridor• Conducted initial public outreach – office open houses, community advisory committees, etc.• Surveyed the area for endangered Indiana bats• Identified the locations, sizes, and types of wetlands• Identified historic cultural resources• Developing preliminary alternative alignment concepts within the project corridor Tier 2 StudiesTasks ahead include . . .• Additional environmental research and analysis, including noise, air quality, ecological, archaeological, & HAZMAT studies• Refine alternative alignments based on results of environmental analyses, engineering feasibility, and input from regulatory agencies and the public• Draft Environmental Impact Statement • Public Hearing• Engineer’s Report• Final Environmental Impact Statement • Record of Decision (ROD) from FHWA10Public involvement activities include:• Project offices in all 6 sections, open during business hours, to provide current information and receive input• Open Houses introducing office and personnel to public (late June 2004)• Community Advisory Committees (most formed & 1stmeeting held)• Project Web Site • Newsletters and Information Brochures• Community & government official small group meetings• Public info meetings at key stages in the study process• Public hearing when Draft EIS is issuedTier 2 StudiesTier 2 StudiesPreliminary design and environmental studies will culminate in FHWA’s issuance of a “Record of Decision”(ROD), which identifies the Interstate alternative selectedwithin each section.111213141516171819202122

I-69 Corridor Project

https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1778&amp;context=roadschool

I-69 Corridor Project

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