Intent to Prepare a Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) Circumferential Highway ProjectNashua, Hudson, Litchfield, and Merrimack, New Hampshire

1. The Nashua-Hudson region of southern New Hampshire is experiencing rapid population and economic growth which necessitates the expansion of the region's transportation system. The construction of a By-Pass Highway around Nashua's northeast quadrant is proposed to provide relief for existing and projected highway capacity deficiencies and to enhance traffic flow in the area. Various social, economic, and environmental impacts will occur and were documented for a Full Build Circumferential Highway in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) published in October 1993. The applicant is proposing to proceed with a Partial Build including the northern segment from NH route 111 in the Town of Hudson northerly and westerly to an improved section of the FE Everett Turnpike in the Town of Merrimack. The Army Corps of Engineers will have to decide whether and under what circumstances to grant a Federal permit for the proposed Partial Build work. Therefore we have decided to prepare an SEIS to aid in agency decision making and to assure compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Evaluation and documentation of impacts to historic, archaeological, public park, and recreation areas will be prepared in conformance with Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act. 2. That FEIS did not completely document impacts of a Partial Build, therefore a Supplement to the FEIS will be prepared to insure major issues associated with the Partial Build alternative have been identified. Due to the time elapsed since release of the FEIS, potential changes in transportation patterns and existing environmental conditions, the SEIS will include updates to the existing conditions information contained in the FEIS. 3. Proposed Action: The Partial Build project proposed by the applicant is a 7.50 mile long section of the previously studied 12 mile long 4-lane limited access circumferential highway. It is to be built on a new alignment located primarily easterly and northerly of the City of Nashua forming an arc around the central business districts of Nashua and Hudson. As documented in the FEIS, Alternative 9 was defined for the Full Build which was a combination of sections of other alternatives. The proposed Partial Build of Alternative 9 begins at NH Route 111 in the center of Hudson running northerly and then westerly through Litchfield, crossing the Merrimack River and returning to the FE Everett Turnpike at a new Exit 9 in Merrimack. The interchange at Exit 9 will include improvements to the FE Everett Turnpike in that section. The purpose of the proposed Partial Build is to add a new crossing of the Merrimack River north of the existing crossings connecting Nashua and Hudson to assist east-west traffic movements in the central and northern greater Nashua region. Should other reasonable and practicable alternatives arise out of the scoping process they too will be evaluated. 4. Alternatives: In the FEIS various alternative alignments were considered to reduce traffic in the region, particularly in the Central Business Districts of Nashua and Hudson. In addition to these alignments, No Action and Transportation System Management/ Transportation Demand Management (TSM/TDM) alternatives were considered. Based on the consideration of the impacts presented and public input, Alternative 9 was defined for the Full Build which was a combination of other alternatives. The FEIS information separated the highway into a southern and northern segment. a. The Southern Segment: A 0.75 mile section of the Southern Segment is currently being constructed as a connection from NH Route 3- A in southern Hudson to the new Exit 2 of the FE Everett Turnpike in southern Nashua. The remainder of the Southern Segment from NH Route 3- A to NH Route 111 is not being proposed as part of the project. b. The Northern Segment: A 7.5 mile section from NH Route 111 in Hudson northerly and westerly to the FE Everett Turnpike in Merrimack has been defined which consists of four linked sections that have individual as well as additive benefits. The sections are: (1) From the FE Everett Turnpike, proposed Exit 9 southerly and easterly to US Route 3, Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack; (2) from US Route 3, DW Highway in Merrimack, crossing the Merrimack River, easterly to NH Route 3-A in Litchfield; (3) from NH Route 3-A easterly to NH Route 102 in Litchfield; and (4) from NH Route 3-A in Litchfield southerly to NH Route 111 in Hudson. c. No Action Alternative: Under the No Action Alternative, the traffic will continue to use the existing street and highway network. d. The TSM/TDM Alternative: The purpose of studying the TSM/TDM alternative in the FEIS was to encourage maximum utilization and energy efficiency of the existing transportation system. Many projects have been implemented in the region for purposes of TSM and TDM improvements. 5. Scoping process: a. Public meetings were conducted during the period of June 1990 to July 1992 introducing the Full Build project and soliciting comments. The Corps of Engineers has held a preliminary coordination meeting with Federal and State agencies to identify issues of concern to be studied in the SEIS. b. The opportunity for public comment will occur at three times during the SEIS process. The first set of public meetings will be the Scoping/Kick-off Meeting Workshops held in each impacted municipality in May 1999. The second opportunity will be at Public Informational workshops held in each municipality for purposes of informal comment on the Draft SEIS in the fall 1999. The third opportunity will be at the Public Hearing held by the Corps of Engineers immediately following the Public Informational Workshops in the fall of 1999. c. It is anticipated that the following agencies will continue to accept Cooperating Agency status for the SEIS study: (1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2) U.S. Department of Interior--Fish and Wildlife Service. (3) U.S. Department of Transportation--Federal Highway Administration. (4) U.S. Department of Agriculture--Natural Resource Conservation Service. d. The SEIS will analyze the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts to the region resulting from the proposed Partial Build. The study will include analysis of the updated existing traffic conditions and projections of the Partial Build and related impacts to air quality, noise, water quality, and wetlands. Construction and operational phase impacts of the four sections will be considered as well as cumulative and secondary impact. The SEIS will include the evaluation and documentation of impacts to historic, archeological, public park, and recreation areas will be prepared in conformance with Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act. 6. Scoping Kick-off Meetings: The Corps of Engineers in coordination with NHDOT plans to hold four individual Scoping Kick-off Meeting Workshops in each of the affected municipalities. These workshops will be conducted with an open forum format and held at the following locations from 4:00 to 8:00 PM: a. Tuesday, May 4, 1999--Griffen Memorial School, Litchfield, NH. b. Thursday, May 6, 1999--Town Hall Court Room, Merrimack, NH. c. Tuesday, May 11, 1999--Alvirne High School, Hudson, NH. d. Thursday, May 13, 1999--City Hall Auditorium, Nashua, NH. All interested agencies, organizations and publics are invited to attend this meeting. Sufficient local notification will be provided. 7. Availability: It is anticipated that the Draft SEIS would be made available for review in October 1999. The Final SEIS on this permit action is anticipated in late 1999. Gregory D. Showalter, Army Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. 99-8958 Filed 4-9-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3710-GT-P