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.
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The fourth Public Information Meeting (PIM) was held on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Normal Community High School at 3900 East Raab Road. The meeting included an overview of the alternative evaluation process, identification of the remaining alignments, and a discussion of roadway facility type. The presentation and exhibits displayed at the meeting can be viewed here.
Click here to see the remaining alignments on an interactive map. These alignments will be studied in detail in the next phase of analysis, the Environmental Assessment Analysis. Public comments are an important part of the project and you are encouraged to provide them in writing. Click here to download a comment form. The comment form can be returned via mail, email, or fax (see information on form). You can also submit an electronic comment here. The public comment period is open through January 25, 2012. The project team is currently looking for volunteers to serve on the Focus Working Groups (FWGs). The FWGs are advisory groups with specific interests and knowledge. They are assembled to review planning and design materials relating to their interest area and advise the Project Study Group (PSG) at key milestones, before the information is finalized. The three FWGs are 1) Land Use and Access Management, 2) Sustainability, and 3) Alternative Modes. To read more about the FWGs or to volunteer, click here. 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.
