National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements will govern the identification of potential environmental and cultural effects of the project and propose measures to minimize adverse effects.
|
The project team presented the alternative evaluation process and remaining alignments to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the State and Federal resource agencies at the March 2, 2012 NEPA/404 Merger Meeting. The public comments received within the comment period following the fourth Public Information Meeting (PIM#4) were given to the FHWA. A summary of comments was included in the presentation. Click here to view the presentation from the meeting.
The FHWA and resource agencies granted concurrence on the remaining alignments. This means that the agencies agree with the findings of the alternative evaluation process to date and the project team can begin to study the remaining alignments in detail in the Environmental Assessment Analysis. Click here to see the remaining alignments on an interactive map. The public comment period following PIM#4 has ended. Thank you to all who submitted comments. Response letters will be sent in late March to those who commented. After that time, the comments and responses from PIM#4 will be posted to the website. Responses to public comments received during the comment period following PIM#1, 2, and 3 have been posted to the website. Click here to view. The East Side Highway Environmental Assessment (EA) commences the last stage of preliminary engineering study. Lead agencies overseeing the East Side Highway EA are the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and McLean County. The purpose of the EA is to evaluate a transportation improvement east of Bloomington-Normal between I-74 to the south and I-55 to the north in McLean County, Illinois. The EA will consider a new transportation facility to meet the transportation needs of the existing and continued development on the east side of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area in McLean County. The ultimate goals of the EA are to identify a Preferred Alternative for a transportation improvement that will address identified transportation needs and to obtain a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from the FHWA. |
...Bloomington/Normal was one metropolitan area highlighted in the Woods & Poole CEDDS 2011 forecast as, “expected to have relatively rapid employment and population growth over the next three decades”. Woods & Poole is a national forecaster utilized by many states and municipalities for their regional forecasts.
