Federal Highway Administration August 23, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is issuing this notice to announce actions taken by FHWA that are final. This notice announces to the public that FHWA, as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) lead agency, circulated a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Section De Minimis Determination (October 19, 2018) for the US 50/South Shore Community Revitalization Project (project) and issued a Record of Decision (ROD) (August 2, 2019). The actions relate to a proposed highway realignment project on US Highway 50 (US 50) in the City of South Lake Tahoe, California and Stateline, Nevada. The project would realign US 50 in the Stateline casino corridor area (postmile 79.00 to postmile 80.44) and convert the existing US 50 roadway, between a location southwest of Pioneer Trail in the City of South Lake Tahoe, California and Lake Parkway in Stateline, Nevada, into a two[hyphen]lane local street (one travel lane in each direction). Realigned US 50 would be four lanes (two travel lanes in each direction) with left-turn pockets at intersections; it would begin at a relocated Pioneer Trail intersection to the west of the existing intersection, and proceed south along existing Moss and Echo Roads. The realigned highway would then turn east onto the Montreal Road alignment, passing behind (southeast of) the Heavenly Village Center shopping complex, and continuing along the existing Montreal Road and Lake Parkway alignments. The proposed action includes a new, two-lane roundabout at the intersection of US 50 and Lake Parkway in Stateline, Nevada. The affected segment of existing US 50 is approximately 1.1 miles long. The existing right-of-way of the segment of US 50 between Pioneer Trail and Lake Parkwaythe new ``Main Street''would be relinquished to the City of South Lake Tahoe in California, and Douglas County in Nevada. Realigned US 50 would become California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) right-of-way. Between Park Avenue and Lake Parkway, the new ``Main Street'' would be reduced to one travel lane in each direction, with landscaped medians, and turn pockets at major intersections and driveways. Expanded sidewalks, a Class IV bicycle route (i.e., cycle track), and a transit circulator are proposed to be implemented in this section within the tourist core to improve pedestrian safety and encourage use of alternative transportation modes. A pedestrian bridge would be constructed over realigned US 50 approximately 250 feet south of the proposed new intersection at the Harrah's entrance driveway near the California/Nevada state line connecting Van Sickle Bi-State Park to the Stateline area. The proposed action would result in displacing residents and would construct replacement housing for those residents before removing existing housing and constructing the roadway improvements in California so that residents displaced by the project may be relocated to the newly constructed housing if they so choose during the relocation process. The action taken by FHWA includes approval of the project.