Nebraska Highway 12 Niobrara East & West
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WWelcomeelcome Nebraska Highway 12 Niobrara East & West Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 404 Permit Application Public Open House and Public Hearing PPurposeurpose & NNeedeed What is the purpose of the N-12 project? - Provide a reliable roadway - Safely accommodate current and future traffi c levels - Maintain regional traffi c connectivity Why is the N-12 project needed? - Driven by fl ooding - Unreliable roadway, safety concerns, and interruption in regional traffi c connectivity Photo at top: N-12 with no paved shoulder and narrow lane widths Photo at bottom: Maintenance occurring on N-12 PProjectroject RRolesoles Tribal*/Public NDOR (Applicant) Agencies & County Corps » Provide additional or » Respond to the Corps’ » Provide technical input » Comply with Clean new information requests for information and consultation Water Act » Provide new reasonable » Develop and submit » Make the Section 7(a) » Comply with National alternatives a Section 404 permit decision (National Park Service) Environmental Policy Act application » Question accuracy and » Approvals and reviews » Conduct tribal adequacy of information » Planning, design, and that adhere to federal, consultation construction of Applied- state, or local laws and » Coordinate with NDOR, for Project requirements agencies, and public » Implementation of » Make a decision mitigation on NDOR’s permit application * Conducted through government-to-government consultation. AApplied-forpplied-for PProjectroject (Alternative A7 - Base of Bluff s Elevated Alignment) Attribute Alternative A7 West East Total length 6.1 miles 6.0 miles Average change in height 19 feet 16 feet above existing ground elevation Total length 3,730 feet/ 5,570 feet/ of bridges 0.71 mile 1.05 miles Bridge width 36 feet 40 feet Number of bridges 8 6 Number of culverts 20 17 Lane width 12 feet 2 feet surfaced, 2 feet surfaced, Shoulder width 4 feet turf 6 feet turf Posted speed 60 mph Existing N-12 in Removed to existing grade project area Existing N-12 not in project area No change (Through Niobrara, for example) AAlternativeslternatives Screening Process Range of Alternatives Screening Process Missouri River Mainstem System Regulation Changes Lewis and Clark Lake Sediment Removal Roadway Alignments Roadway Alignments not in in Missouri River Floodplain Missouri River Floodplain Not feasible to implement in a timely manner and no guarantee that fl ooding Requires yearly dredging for the life of the project ($2.58 billion Concepts A B C would be reduced. D through 2045); therefore, too costly to implement. Purpose and Need NAA A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 B1 B2 Not suffi ciently Not suffi ciently diff erent from A7 diff erent from A4 Practicability Logistics . Can Tribal land be obtained? A1 A2 A3 A4 A7 B1 B2 . Can Section 7(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Not suffi ciently Act be satisfi ed? diff erent from B1 Cost A1 A2 A3 A4 A7 B1 . Do costs exceed 1.5 times the least costly alternative (A3)? $177.7M $172.8M $169.2M $330.2 M $224M $341.7 M Alternatives to be Evaluated in Draft EIS NAA A1 A2 A3 A7 This indicates that the concept or alternative was Alternatives dismissed from further evaluation. A1 - Elevation Raise on Existing Alignment A6 - Parallel Modifi ed Elevated Alignment A2 - Elevation Raise on Parallel Alignment A7 - Base of Bluff s Elevated Alignment (Applied-for Project) The No-Action Alternative does not meet the A3 - Base of Bluff s Alignment B1 - Bluff Alignment purpose and need but is evaluated in the Draft EIS A4 - Parallel Elevated Alignment B2 - South of Bluff Alignment for comparison purposes. A5 - Base of Bluff s Modifi ed Elevated Alignment NAA - No-Action Alternative (Evaluated for comparison purposes) This indicates that the concept was eliminated. AAlternativelternative CComparisonomparison Wetland Threatened and Potential ROW and Cultural Recreation Alternative Cost Impacts Endangered Species Acquisition Resources Resources A1 – Existing Alignment $168.8M 147.4 acres 111 acres A2 – Parallel Alignment $164.0M 142.3 acres 132 acres Not Likely to Negligible Impact No Effect on Bazile Creek Adversely Affect A3 – Base of Bluffs Alignment $161.8M 122.3 acres 1,064 acres WMA A7 – Base of Bluffs Elevated Alignment $217.6M 90.9 acres 1,064 acres (Applied-for Project) EEISIS DDevelopmentevelopment aandnd NNextext SStepsteps 2006 NDOR and Corps coordinate on Section 404 permit requirements Corps becomes lead federal agency 2007 and determines that an EIS is needed 2008 7/25: Corps initiates the EIS process (Federal Register notice) 7/25 – 9/28: Project Scoping 2009 7/23: Public Meeting 2010 Record Missouri River 2011 fl ooding occurs NDOR initiates revisions to all preliminary design for all alternatives to meet revised Missouri River 100-year 2012 fl ood elevations NDOR completes preliminary design 2014 and cost estimates of all alternatives 2015 NDOR submits Section 404 permit application to the Corps 10/9: Notice of Availability of Draft EIS/Section 404 Permit/Public Hearing 10/9 – 11/23 45 day comment period 11/9: Open House Public Meeting/ Public Hearing We Are Here 2016 Final EIS available for comment Corps issues Record of Decision 2017 Design and Construction (NDOR) 2025 .