Notice2022-22529
Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway Projects in Texas
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 17, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Highway Administration
Abstract
This notice announces actions taken by TxDOT and Federal agencies that are final. The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for these projects are being, or have been, carried out by TxDOT pursuant to an assignment agreement executed by FHWA and TxDOT. The actions relate to various proposed highway projects in the State of Texas. These actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the projects.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 199 (Monday, October 17, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 199 (Monday, October 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62915-62917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22529]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway
Projects in Texas
AGENCY: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of limitation on claims for judicial review of actions
by TxDOT and Federal agencies.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces actions taken by TxDOT and Federal
agencies that are final. The environmental review, consultation, and
other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for
these projects are being, or have been, carried out by TxDOT pursuant
to an assignment agreement executed by FHWA and TxDOT. The actions
relate to various proposed highway projects in the State of Texas.
These actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the projects.
DATES: By this notice, TxDOT is advising the public of final agency
actions subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A
[[Page 62916]]
claim seeking judicial review of TxDOT and Federal agency actions on
the highway projects will be barred unless the claim is filed on or
before the deadline. For the projects listed below, the deadline is
March 16, 2023. If the Federal law that authorizes judicial review of a
claim provides a time period of less than 150 days for filing such a
claim, then that shorter time period still applies.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Lee, Environmental Affairs
Division, Texas Department of Transportation, 125 East 11th Street,
Austin, Texas 78701; telephone: (512) 416-2358; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#25754451574c464e0b69404065515d414a510b424a53"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b4e4d5c0c6ddd7df9af8d1d1f4c0ccd0dbc09ad3dbc2">[email protected]</span></a>. TxDOT's normal business hours are 8:00 a.m.-5:00
p.m. (central time), Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental review, consultation, and
other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for
these projects are being, or have been, carried out by TxDOT pursuant
to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 9,
2019, and executed by FHWA and TxDOT.
Notice is hereby given that TxDOT and Federal agencies have taken
final agency actions by issuing licenses, permits, and approvals for
the highway projects in the State of Texas that are listed below.
The actions by TxDOT and Federal agencies and the laws under which
such actions were taken are described in the Categorical Exclusion
(CE), Environmental Assessment (EA), or Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) issued in connection with the projects and in other key project
documents. The CE, EA, or EIS and other key documents for the listed
projects are available by contacting the local TxDOT office at the
address or telephone number provided for each project below.
This notice applies to all TxDOT and Federal agency decisions as of
the issuance date of this notice and all laws under which such actions
were taken, including but not limited to:
1. General: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C.
4321-4351]; Federal-Aid Highway Act [23 U.S.C. 109].
2. Air: Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7401-7671(q)].
3. Land: Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of
1966 [49 U.S.C. 303]; Landscaping and Scenic Enhancement (Wildflowers)
[23 U.S.C. 319].
4. Wildlife: Endangered Species Act [16 U.S.C. 1531-1544 and
Section 1536], Marine Mammal Protection Act [16 U.S.C. 1361], Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act [16 U.S.C. 661-667(d)], Migratory Bird Treaty
Act [16 U.S.C. 703-712].
5. Historic and Cultural Resources: Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended [54 U.S.C. 300101 et
seq.]; Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1977 [16 U.S.C.
470(aa)-11]; Archeological and Historic Preservation Act [54 U.S.C.
312501 et seq.]; Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA) [25 U.S.C. 3001-3013].
6. Social and Economic: Civil Rights Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C.
2000(d)-2000(d)(1)]; American Indian Religious Freedom Act [42 U.S.C.
1996]; Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA) [7 U.S.C. 4201-4209].
7. Wetlands and Water Resources: Clean Water Act [33 U.S.C. 1251-
1377] (Section 404, Section 401, Section 319); Land and Water
Conservation Fund (LWCF) [16 U.S.C. 4601-4604]; Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA) [42 U.S.C. 300(f)-300(j)(6)]; Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 [33
U.S.C. 401-406]; Wild and Scenic Rivers Act [16 U.S.C. 1271-1287];
Emergency Wetlands Resources Act [16 U.S.C. 3921, 3931]; TEA-21
Wetlands Mitigation [23 U.S.C. 103(b)(6)(m), 133(b)(11)]; Flood
Disaster Protection Act [42 U.S.C. 4001-4128].
8. Executive Orders: E.O. 11990 Protection of Wetlands; E.O. 11988
Floodplain Management; E.O. 12898 Federal Actions to Address
Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income
Populations; E.O. 11593 Protection and Enhancement of Cultural
Resources; E.O. 13007 Indian Sacred Sites; E.O. 13287 Preserve America;
E.O. 13175 Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal
Governments; E.O. 11514 Protection and Enhancement of Environmental
Quality; E.O. 13112 Invasive Species.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, Highway
Planning and Construction.)
The projects subject to this notice are:
1. FM 973 from 0.069 miles north of FM 969 to 0.10 miles north of
Thyone Drive, Travis County. The project will improve FM 973 from a
two-lane roadway to a four-lane roadway with a continuous left-turn
lane, paved shoulders, and a northbound sidewalk. The project is
approximately 3.9 miles in length. The actions by TxDOT and Federal
agencies and the laws under which such actions were taken are described
in the Categorical Exclusion Determination issued on June 16, 2022, and
other documents in the TxDOT project file. The Categorical Exclusion
Determination and other documents in the TxDOT project file are
available by contacting the TxDOT Austin District Office at 7901 North
I-35, Austin, TX 78753; telephone: (512) 832-7000.
2. Panther Creek Parkway from SH 289 (Preston Road) to Dallas North
Tollway in Collin County, Texas. The proposed project would include the
extension of a six-lane new location roadway for Panther Creek Parkway
(CR 1043) from approximately 1,100-feet east of the Dallas North
Tollway (DNT) to approximately 1,000-feet east of Preston Road (SH
289), in the of City of Frisco. The facility would consist of three
travel lanes (three 12-foot wide) in each direction with dedicated left
and right turn lanes to accommodate the new intersections within a
typical ROW of 120 to 140 feet. The proposed project is approximately
two miles in length. The purpose of the proposed project is to improve
mobility and safety in the project area. The actions by TxDOT and
Federal agencies and the laws under which such actions were taken are
described in the Categorical Exclusion Determination issued on July 6,
2022, and other documents in the TxDOT project file. The Categorical
Exclusion Determination and other documents in the TxDOT project file
are available by contacting the TxDOT Dallas District Office at 4777 E.
Highway 80, Mesquite, TX 75150; telephone: (214) 320-6200.
3. IH 45 Central Walker County Project, Segment 2B from SH 30 to
0.7 miles south of FM 1696 in Walker County, Texas. The proposed
project would replace existing mainlane pavement with new pavement and
widen from four to six travel lanes. The proposed facility would
continue to be a controlled access divided highway. The mainlane
widening would be accomplished by adding additional lanes to the inside
of the existing mainlanes. Both inside and outside shoulders would be
increased to 12 feet in width. Opposing traffic would be separated with
a center concrete traffic barrier instead of a grass median. The
project would also reconstruct ramps to current standards. Drainage
structures will be widened to accommodate the wider paved surface and
existing bridges will be replaced. Frontage roads would also be
converted to one-way travel. The SH75/IH 45/FM 1791 interchange would
also be reconfigured into a dual roundabout to allow for more efficient
traffic flow; this would require the replacement of two interstate
bridges. The length of the proposed project is approximately 4.7 miles.
The purpose of the proposed project is to bring the interstate facility
up to current standards for design and safety and to increase capacity
in order to meet future
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traffic volumes. IH 45 serves as a hurricane and disaster evacuation
route for the metro Houston and Galveston areas. The actions by TxDOT
and Federal agencies and the laws under which such actions were taken
are described in the Categorical Exclusion Determination issued on July
11, 2022, and other documents in the TxDOT project file. The
Categorical Exclusion Determination and other documents in the TxDOT
project file are available by contacting the TxDOT Bryan District
Office at 2591 North Earl Rudder FWY, Bryan, TX 77803; telephone: (979)
778-9764.
4. IH 30 from Linkcrest Drive to I-820, Tarrant County, Texas. The
approximately 3.4-mile project in the cities of Fort Worth and White
Settlement would focus on improving safety and mobility from Linkcrest
Drive to IH 820. The proposed improvements would include widening IH 30
from a four-lane freeway (two mainlanes each direction) to a six-lane
freeway (three mainlanes each direction); improvements to the IH 30 and
Spur 580 interchange to reduce congestion and enhance safety; and
construction of continuous two-lane, one-way frontage roads throughout
the project limits. The actions by TxDOT and Federal agencies and the
laws under which such actions were taken are described in the
Categorical Exclusion Determination issued on July 18, 2022, and other
documents in the TxDOT project file. The Categorical Exclusion
Determination and other documents in the TxDOT project file are
available by contacting the TxDOT Fort Worth District Office at 2501 SW
Loop 820, Fort Worth TX, 76133; telephone: (817) 370-6744.
5. SH 6 Central BCS (Bryan-College Station) project from US 190/
SH21 to SH 40/William D. Fitch Parkway. The proposed project would
include widening the existing roadway from four to six lanes;
interchange improvements/replacement; ramp adjustments; U-turns;
collector-distributor roads and auxiliary lanes; bridge upgrades and
replacements as necessary; continuous bicycle/pedestrian facilities;
and upgrades to drainage, illumination, signals, and intelligent
transportation system (ITS) facilities. The purpose of the proposed
project is to bring the facility up to current standards for design and
safety, to relieve congestion, and improve mobility. The actions by
TxDOT and Federal agencies and the laws under which such actions were
taken are described in the Categorical Exclusion Determination issued
on July 26, 2022, and other documents in the TxDOT project file. The
Categorical Exclusion Determination and other documents in the TxDOT
project file are available by contacting the TxDOT Bryan District
Office at 2591 North Earl Rudder FWY, Bryan, TX 77803; telephone: (979)
778-9764.
6. IH 20 Corridor from west of FM 1936 to east of JBS Parkway,
Ector County, Texas. This project would improve IH 20 in the City of
Odessa in Ector County, over a distance of approximately 10.4 miles.
Improvements include adding one mainlane in each direction,
reconfiguring interchanges and ramps, and converting frontage roads
from two-way operation to one-way operation. The actions by TxDOT and
Federal agencies and the laws under which such actions were taken are
described in the Categorical Exclusion Determination issued on July 28,
2022, and other documents in the TxDOT project file. The Categorical
Exclusion Determination and other documents in the TxDOT project file
are available by contacting the TxDOT Odessa District Office at 3901
East Highway 80, Odessa, Texas 79761; telephone: (432) 498-4710.
7. US 281 Alice Improvement Project, on US 281 from Business 281R
(north of Alice) to Business 281R (south of Alice), in Jim Wells
County, Texas. The purpose of the project is to improve safety and
mobility in the project area by widening the roadway to the inside over
the existing median and converting the existing roadway to frontage
roads. Overpasses and bridges would be constructed to span county roads
and creeks, and ditches would be realigned and regraded for drainage.
The proposed project length is approximately 9.5 miles. The actions by
TxDOT and Federal agencies and the laws under which such actions were
taken are described in the Categorical Exclusion Determination issued
on August 12, 2022, and other documents in the TxDOT project file. The
Categorical Exclusion Determination and other documents in the TxDOT
project file are available by contacting the TxDOT Corpus Christi
District Office at 1701 South Padre Island Drive, Corpus Christi, TX
78416; telephone: (361) 808-2660.
8. SH 99 from FM 1093 to IH 10, Fort Bend and Harris Counties,
Texas. This project will widen SH 99 from four to six lanes between FM
1093 and I-10 for a total distance of approximately 5.9 miles. The
additional mainlane is proposed to be constructed within the existing
median. The proposed improvements also include an adjustment of ramp
locations and the addition of right-turn lanes at various
intersections. The actions by TxDOT and Federal agencies and the laws
under which such actions were taken are described in the Categorical
Exclusion Determination issued on August 29, 2022, and other documents
in the TxDOT project file. The Categorical Exclusion Determination and
other documents in the TxDOT project file are available by contacting
the TxDOT Houston District Office at 7600 Washington Avenue, Houston,
TX 77007; telephone: (713) 802-5000.
9. US 77 Sinton Improvement Project, from Business 77 (south of
Sinton) to Business 77 (North of Sinton), in San Patricio County,
Texas. The purpose of the project is to improve safety and mobility in
the project area by upgrading the roadway to interstate standards as
part of the future I-69 corridor. The proposed project length is
approximately 5.8 miles. The actions by TxDOT and Federal agencies and
the laws under which such actions were taken are described in the Final
Environmental Assessment (EA), the Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) issued on July 8, 2022, and other documents in the TxDOT
project file. The EA, FONSI, and other documents in the TxDOT project
file are available by contacting the TxDOT Corpus Christi District
Office at 1701 South Padre Island Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78416;
telephone: (361) 808-2660.
10. US 79 from IH 35 to east of FM 1460, Williamson County, Texas.
The project includes adding a third 12-foot travel lane in each
direction, installing a raised median, intersection improvements, and
improved pedestrian and bicycle accommodations. The project is 2.48
miles in length. The actions by TxDOT and Federal agencies and the laws
under which such actions were taken are described in the Final
Environmental Assessment (EA), the Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) issued on July 20, 2022, and other documents in the TxDOT
project file. The EA, FONSI and other documents in the TxDOT project
file are available by contacting the TxDOT Austin District Office at
7901 North I-35, Austin, TX 78753; telephone: (512) 832-7000.
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1).
Michael T. Leary,
Director, Planning and Program Development, Federal Highway
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-22529 Filed 10-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 17, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.