This is a Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement addressing corridor alternatives for a circumferential controlled access free-flow toll roadway around Baton Rouge, Louisiana with two new Mississippi River crossings. The proposed facility would initially be four lanes with the capability to expand to six lanes within an average 400’ right-of-way. The proposed Baton Rouge Loop would connect I- 12 east of Baton Rouge east of Walker to I-10 west of Baton Rouge, I-10 west of Baton Rouge to I-10 south of Baton Rouge, and I-10 south of Baton Rouge to I-12 east of Walker. The document also includes the Section 4(f) and 6(f) Evaluation. Comments on this Tier 1 Final EIS/Section 4(f) and 6(f) Evaluation will be accepted in writing until February 15, 2016. Comments should be sent to the Capital Area Expressway Authority (CAEA) c/o Raul Regis, P.E. at HNTB Corporation, 10000 Perkins Rowe, Suite 640, Baton Rouge, LA 70810. A Project Technical File with support technical documents is located at HNTB Corporation, 10000 Perkins Rowe, Suite 640, Baton Rouge, LA 70810. The Technical File is open for review by appointment Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9am to 4pm through March 16, 2016. Copies of the documents are available for a nominal fee payable in cash. Call Raul Regis at 225-368-2800 to schedule an appointment. Baton Rouge Loop Tier 1 Final EIS Volumes 1 & 2 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS – Volume 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION/PURPOSE AND NEED 1.1. Project Description 1-1 1.2. Environmental Study Documentation 1-2 1.3. Purpose and Need 1-3 1.4. Conclusion 1-9 CHAPTER 2. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 2.1. Development 2-1 2.2. Implementation Plan 2-1 2.3. Transit Alternative(s) 2-9 2.4. Tier 1 EIS 2-11 2.5. Design Features 2-15 2.6. Project Costs 2-23 2.7. Operations and Maintenance Cost 2-27 2.8. Traffic 2-27 2.9. Toll Revenue 2-35 2.10. Finance and Delivery 2-36 CHAPTER 3. PROJECT ENVIRONMENT – RESOURCES & POTENTIAL IMPACTS 3.1. Land Cover 3-1 3.2. Prime Farmland Soils 3-9 3.3. Socioeconomics 3-12 3.4. Parks, Recreation Areas, Wildlife Refuges, Community Facilities 3-21 3.5. Cultural Resources 3-26 3.6. Section 4(f) / Section 6(f) Resources 3-38 3.7. Traffic and Transportation 3-41 3.8. Preliminary Impacts of Tolling 3-42 3.9. Air Quality 3-44 3.10. Floodplains 3-48 3.11. Water Bodies 3-52 3.12. Wetlands 3-58 3.13. Navigation & Navigable Waters 3-71 3.14. Threatened or Endangered Species 3-77 3.15. Waste Sites 3-83 3.16. Cumulative and Indirect Impacts 3-92 3.17. Synopsis 3-102 CHAPTER 4. SECTION 4(F) / SECTION 6(F) EVALUATION 4.1. Section 4(f) and Section 6(f) Resources 4-3 4.2. Avoidance Alternatives 4-6 4.3. Section 4(f) / Section 6(f) Evaluation Summary 4-10 i Baton Rouge Loop Tier 1 Final EIS Volumes 1 & 2 Table of Contents CHAPTER 5. COMPARISON AND EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES 5.1. Methodology 5-1 5.2. Evaluation Parameters 5-1 5.3. Evaluation 5-3 5.4. Baton Rouge Loop Corridor Recommendation 5-13 CHAPTER 6. FUTURE ACTIONS, COMMITMENTS, MITIGATION, AND PERMITS 6.1. Future Actions 6-1 6.2. Commitments 6-3 6.3. Mitigation 6-4 6.4. Permitting 6-5 6.5. Corridor Preservation 6-6 CHAPTER 7. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION 7.1. Agency Coordination 7-1 7.2. Public Involvement Plan 7-4 7.3. Public and Stakeholder Coordination 7-4 7.4. Stakeholder Committee, Advisory Committee, Special Purpose Meetings 7-6 7.5. Public Official Outreach 7-9 7.6. Tier 1 DEIS Public Hearings 7-9 7.7. Comments Received Regarding the Tier 1 DEIS 7-11 ii Baton Rouge Loop Tier 1 Final EIS Volumes 1 & 2 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS – Volume 2 APPENDIX A: PURPOSE & NEED SUPPORT A-1 Regional Population and Traffic Growth A-1 Findings from the National I-10 Freight Corridor Study A-3 Comparisons of Connectivity at Major River Crossings in Louisiana A-6 I-12 Incident Data (I-10 / I-12 Split to Walker) A-9 Regional Public Opinion Polls A-12 APPENDIX B: ENGINEERING B-1 Potential Interchange Location Tables B-1 Plan and Elevation Views of the Four Mississippi River Crossing Bridges B-4 Unit Corridor Alternative Preliminary Capital Cost Estimates B-12 Navigation Simulation Survey Forms B-28 APPENDIX C: NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE INFORMATION C-1 CRPC TIP Tables C-1 STIP Tables C-11 APPENDIX D: SECTION N2 INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY INFORMATION D-1 APPENDIX E: PUBLIC AND AGENCY COORDINATION E-1 Notice of Intent E-1 Agency Coordination Plan E-4 Solicitation of Views Letter E-8 SOV Recipients - Stakeholders E-11 SOV Responses E-15 SOV/Scoping Recipients - Agencies E-25 Agency Scoping E-27 Agency Scoping Correspondence E-33 Agency Coordination Meetings Information and Minutes E-51 Public Involvement Plan E-101 Public Scoping/Purpose and Need Meeting Information E-105 Public Scoping Meeting Comments E-114 Public Meeting Information March 2009 E-129 Public Meeting Comments March 2009 E-133 Public Meeting Information January 2010 E-142 Public Meeting Comments January 2010 E-144 Public/Stakeholder Correspondence/Comments E-154 Stakeholder Committee and Advisory Committee Meetings E-190 Focus Group Discussion Report and Presentation – Sept 2010 E-201 Additional Correspondence with the State Historic Preservation Officer E-217 Additional Correspondence with the Area Floodplain Administrators E-219 APPENDIX F: DATA SOURCES AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION F-1 Resource/Study Area Data Sources F-1 Previous Cultural Resource Studies F-2 iii Baton Rouge Loop Tier 1 Final EIS Volumes 1 & 2 Table of Contents Cultural Resource References Cited F-5 Hydric Soil Descriptions F-8 Cumulative and Indirect Impact References F-10 Supporting Documents and Technical Reports F-11 Implementation Plan Phase Documents (July 2008) – Also Contained in Appendix G F-11 Additional Need and Purpose Reference Documents F-11 CAEA Statutory Authority F-12 CAEA Articles of Incorporation and Reinstatement F-36 CAEA Amendment to Articles of Incorporation F-45 APPENDIX G: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TECHNICAL MEMORANDUMS G-1 APPENDIX H: LIST OF PREPARERS H-1 APPENDIX I: TIER 1 EIS CIRCULATION I-1 APPENDIX J: LAND USE PLANNING FINAL REPORT AND STRATEGIC ACTIONS J-1 APPENDIX K: DEIS DOCUMENTATION AND COMMENTS K-1 DEIS Documentation K-1 DEIS Comments K-2 Resource Agency DEIS Comments and Responses K-4 Resource Agency Comments K-28 Subject Codes for Other DEIS Comments and Responses K-66 Summary of Other DEIS Comments and Responses (Includes Public Comments) K-67 Reevaluation of the Tier 1 DEIS Decision Letter K-86 Public Hearing Comments K-88 FIGURES: VOLUMES 1 & 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Figure ES-1: NEPA Tiered Environmental Process ES-3 Figure ES-2: Baton Rouge Loop Project Units with Corridor Sections ES-5 Figure ES-3: Preferred Project Unit Corridor Sections/Alternatives ES-11 CHAPTER 2 Figure 2-1: Implementation Plan Boundary Map 2-2 Figure 2-2: Implementation Plan Major Controlling Factors 2-3 Figure 2-3: Implementation Plan Potential Corridor Alternatives 2-4 Figure 2-4: Implementation Plan Refined Corridors 2-8 Figure 2–5: Corridor Alternatives Advanced to Tier 1 EIS 2-9 Figure 2-6: Project Units with Corridor Sections 2-15 Figure 2-7: Typical Roadway Section 2-18 Figure 2-8: Typical Section with Frontage Roads 2-19 iv Baton Rouge Loop Tier 1 Final EIS Volumes 1 & 2 Table of Contents Figure 2-9: Typical Section Viaduct Structure 2-20 Figure 2-10: Typical Interchange Types 2-21 Figure 2-11: Potential Interchange Locations 2-22 Figure 2-12: Potential Mississippi River Bridge Crossing Locations 2-26 Figure 2-13A: Potential Mississippi River Bridge Section N2, US 190 Crossing – Plan View B-4 Figure 2-13B: Potential Mississippi River Bridge Section N2, US 190 Crossing – Plan/Elevation B-5 Figure 2-14A: Potential Mississippi River Bridge Section S14, Red Eye Crossing – Plan View B-6 Figure 2-14B: Potential Mississippi River Bridge Section S14, Red Eye Crossing – Plan/Elevation B-7 Figure 2-15A: Potential Mississippi River Bridge Section S13, Missouri Bend – Plan View B-8 Figure 2-15B: Potential Mississippi River Bridge Section S13, Missouri Bend – Plan/Elevation B-9 Figure 2-16A: Potential Mississippi River Bridge Section S12, Plaquemine Crossing – Plan View B-10 Figure 2-16B: Potential Mississippi River Bridge Section S12, Plaquemine Crossing – Plan/Elevation B-11 Figure 2-17: Base Loop Modeling Scenario 2-31 Figure 2-18: Plaquemine Crossing Modeling Scenario 2-31 Figure 2-19: I-10 Connection Modeling Scenario 2-32 Figure 2-20: Northern Central Modeling Scenario 2-32 Figure 2-21: Finance/Delivery Process 2-38 Figure 2-22: Baton Rouge Loop Funding Sources 2-38 CHAPTER 3 Figure 3-1: Baton Rouge/CRPC Study Area 3-45 Figure 3-2: Typical Barge Tow Configuration for North Unit 3-73 Figure 3-3: SCI US 190 (N2) Bridge Simulation 3-73 Figure 3-4: SCI Red Eye (S14) Crossing Bridge Simulation 3-74 Figure 3-5: SCI Missouri Bend (S13) Crossing Bridge Simulation 3-74 Figure 3-6: Typical Barge Tow Configuration for South Unit 3-75 CHAPTER 5 Figure 5-1: Remaining and Eliminated Unit Corridor Sections/Alternative 5-14 APPENDIX D Figure D-1: Potential Facility Impact Area D-10 v Baton Rouge Loop Tier 1 Final EIS Volumes 1 & 3 Table of Contents TABLES: VOLUMES 1 & 2 CHAPTER 1 Table 1.1 Peak Period Level of Service Conditions in the Study Area for I-12 1-5 Table 1.2 Peak Period Level of Service Conditions in the Study Area for I-10 1-5 CHAPTER 2 Table 2.1a North Unit Corridor Alternatives by Corridor Section 2-13 Table 2.1b South Unit Corridor Alternatives by Corridor Section 2-14 Table 2.1c East Unit Corridor Alternatives by Corridor Section 2-14 Table 2.2 Design Standards 2-17