Environmental Impact Statement: Albuquerque, NM, 9613 [E8-3195]

Agencies

• Federal Highway Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 35 (Thursday, February 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 9613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3195]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Albuquerque, NM

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), USDOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public and other 
agencies that an environmental impact statement will be prepared for a 
proposed transportation project in Albuquerque, NM.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicholas Finch, District Engineer, 
Federal Highway Administration, New Mexico Division, 4001 Office Court 
Drive, Suite 801, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507, Telephone (505) 820-2039; 
or, Paul Lindberg, Project Development Engineer, New Mexico Department 
of Transportation, 7500 Pan American Freeway NE., Albuquerque, New 
Mexico 87109, Telephone (505) 841-2737.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the New Mexico 
Department of Transportation (NMDOT), will prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) for proposed improvements to the Interstate 25 
(I-25) and Paseo del Norte Interchange in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 
proposed improvements would involve the reconstruction of the 
interchange and the adjoining portions of I-25 from San Mateo Boulevard 
to Alameda Boulevard and Paseo del Norte from San Pedro Drive to 2nd 
Street. The proposed improvements include approximately 2 miles of I-25 
and 2 miles of Paseo del Norte.
    The proposed improvements are considered necessary to: Provide for 
existing and future traffic demand; reduce congestion; improve local 
circulation; and, improve regional mobility. Alternatives under 
consideration include: (1) Taking no action; (2) reconstructing the 
existing traffic interchange as a system interchange using an echelon 
configuration in the interchange core with two directional ramps; and, 
(3) reconstructing the existing traffic interchange as a system 
interchange using four directional ramps. Both build alternatives 
include the addition of a general purpose lane in each direction of 
travel on I-25, auxiliary lanes where needed on I-25, modifications to 
freeway entrance and exit ramps at San Mateo Boulevard, San Antonio 
Boulevard, and Alameda Boulevard, reconstruction of the existing at-
grade intersection of Paseo del Norte and Jefferson Street as a grade 
separated intersection, and construction of a new 1.25 mile section of 
arterial roadway parallel to Paseo del Norte from I-25 to the AMAFCA 
Diversion Channel.
    Letters describing the proposed action and requesting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to 
private organizations and individuals who have previously expressed, or 
are known to have an interest, in the proposed action. A scoping 
meeting will be held with appropriate agencies in late February 2008. 
Agencies will be notified of the scoping meeting by letter.
    Planning and preliminary design activities for the proposed 
improvements have been underway since 2006. During that time, four 
public meetings and approximately fifty meetings with individual 
business, property owners, and interested groups were held, including 
two public meetings held in December 2007. Because extensive public 
involvement and scoping have already been conducted, a specific 
schedule for additional public scoping meetings has not been set. 
Additional meetings with the public, individual property and business 
owners, and others will be conducted as needed and as new information 
is developed. A notice of intent to prepare an EIS will be published in 
local newspapers in February 2008. The local notice will describe the 
proposed action and the intent of FHWA and NMDOT to prepare an 
environmental impact statement. It will also request comments from the 
public on issues of interest and concern and on alternatives to be 
considered.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to the proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues are identified, 
comments, suggestions, and questions are invited from all interested 
parties. Comments, questions, and suggestions about the proposed action 
and the EIS should be sent to the FHWA 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 February 9, 2008.
J. Don Martinez,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Santa Fe, New 
Mexico.
 [FR Doc. E8-3195 Filed 2-20-08; 8:45 am]
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