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<br />SUMMARY
<br />1 - Administrative Action - Final
<br />Environmental Impact Statement/Section 4(f)
<br />Statement
<br />2 - For more information concerning this
<br />proposal and Statement, the following individuals
<br />can be contacted:
<br />A.J, Siccardi, Division Administrator
<br />Federal Highway Administration
<br />Denver Federal Center - Bldg, 25
<br />Denver, CO 80225 Phone 234-4425
<br />
<br />R,A, Prosence, District Engineer or
<br />L.R, Abbott
<br />District Environmental Manager
<br />Colorado Division of Highways
<br />606 South Ninth Street
<br />Grand Junction, CO 81502 Phone 242-2862
<br />
<br />H,R. Atchison, Director of Transportation Planning
<br />Colorado Department of Highways
<br />4201 East Arkansas Avenue
<br />Denver, CO 80222 Phone 757-9011
<br />3 - DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED
<br />IMPROVEMENT
<br />The project study area included the segment
<br />of State Highway 82 from a point 1,9 miles east of
<br />the S,H, 133 intersection near Carbondale to the
<br />west Aspen city limits, a total of 27 miles,
<br />However, this document is making an alternative
<br />recommendation for only the first 11,3 miles (to
<br />Wingo Junction),
<br />The project is located in Garfield, Eagle and
<br />Pitkin Counties in west-central Colorado, and is
<br />identified as Project CS 57-0082-29, Carbondale-
<br />East. S,H, 82 has been programmed for continued
<br />improvement and funding in this Department's
<br />five-year highway improvement plan,
<br />4 - This Proposed Action would result in
<br />the Following Federal and State Actions:
<br />Federal Actions:
<br />Issuing of Corps of Engineers 404 Permits,
<br />State Actions:
<br />Certification and NPDES Permit from Colorado
<br />Department of Health; notifications and
<br />certifications from the Colorado Division of Wildlife;
<br />permits for gravel pits from the Mined Land
<br />Reclamation Board; approval of Air Quality
<br />Analysis by the Colorado Department of Health,
<br />
<br />II
<br />
<br />5 - Environmental Impact
<br />Implementation of the recommended project
<br />will have some impacts on visual resources
<br />including meadow and riparian landscapes in the
<br />project corridor; disturb approximately 142 acres
<br />of agricultural land, 33 acres riparian habitat, 10
<br />acres of residential, and 6 acres of commercial for
<br />a total of 191 acres; require approximately 4 home
<br />relocations; introduce significantly higher noise
<br />levels in a few locations where roadway on new
<br />alignment would be built; temporarily disturb
<br />wildlife populations during construction process
<br />and permanent removal of habitat; provide some
<br />additional jobs in the area during the construction
<br />period; cause the loss of some taxable lands from
<br />county tax rolls; cause increased dust, noise,
<br />traffic congestion, and inconvenience during
<br />construction; cause a temporary increase in river
<br />siltation and water pollution in the Roaring Fork
<br />River; have adverse impact on one site of national
<br />historical significance which is eligible for entry
<br />onto the National Register of Historic Places;
<br />cause the loss of approximately 142 acres of
<br />irrigated agriculture and 33 acres riparian lands in
<br />the corridor; provide some additional potential for
<br />economic growth and land development in the
<br />project corridor; and significantly improve
<br />transportation serviceability and road user safety
<br />features along the length of the recommended
<br />improvement.
<br />6 - Alternatives
<br />Alternatives considered in the evaluation of
<br />this project included the "Do Nothing" Alternative,
<br />alternative modes of transportation including light
<br />rail and bus transit, and alternative highway
<br />configurations and locations, To be consistent with
<br />Halprin S,H, 82 Design Concept Study, the project
<br />corridor was divided into three sections, These
<br />included an "Up-Valley Section" from Aspen to
<br />Sardy Field (MP, 26,6 to MP 23,3), a "Halprin
<br />Down-Valley Section" from Sardy Field to the
<br />Pitkin County line at Basalt (M,P, 23,3 to MP
<br />12,0), and a" CDH Down-Valley Section" from
<br />Basalt to Carbondale (M,P, 12,0 to M,P, 0),
<br />Up-valley alternatives included mass transit,
<br />an improved two-lane highway along the present
<br />alignment, a four-lane highway on the existing
<br />alignment or a new location west of Sardy Field,
<br />and a four-lane "parkway" concept.
<br />In the down-valley sections, alternatives
<br />varied from an improved two-lane highway to a
<br />new four-lane highway on new or existing
<br />
<br />'.
<br />
<br />alignment to the concept of two independent two-
<br />lane roadways on new and existing rights of way,
<br />Chapter provides a discussion of all alternatives
<br />considered in the Draft EIS and this document.
<br />Recommendation:
<br />Based on information and data accumulated
<br />during the development of the Draft EIS and
<br />suggestions and comments received as a result of
<br />circulation of the Draft EIS and testimony entered
<br />during the holding of two formal location public
<br />hearings, the following actions for improvement of
<br />State Highway 82 are recommended,
<br />1. Continuation of the safety improvement
<br />program. The safety improvement program
<br />initiated in the early 1970's will be continued and
<br />expanded, Recurrent accident locations will be
<br />identified, cost of mitigating or eliminating hazards
<br />will be computed, benefits versus costs at each
<br />location will be compared, and priorities for future
<br />work will be established, An advisory committee of
<br />representatives of Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin
<br />counties will be formed to work with CDH and the
<br />Colorado State Patrol in establishment of
<br />construction priorities, Two lanes of the eventual
<br />four-lane bypass of Basalt (Alternative 1 E) will be
<br />considered part of the safety improvement
<br />program,
<br />2, Extension of the four-lane facility. The
<br />highway will be widened to a four-lane facility from
<br />the present end of four lanes east of Carbondale
<br />(MP 0,0) to Wingo (MP 11,3) east of Basalt. This
<br />widening will be the long-range commitment after
<br />substantial progress has been made in the safety
<br />improvement program, The recommended
<br />alternative alignment follows along 1 E as shown
<br />on the photo mosaic, pages VI-XI, and the
<br />Alternatives Map, page 46,
<br />3, No-build from Wingo (MP 11.3) to
<br />Aspen (MP 26,6). Pending completion of the
<br />Busway Feasibility Study during the fall of 1981,
<br />no major action will be taken on the section of SH
<br />82 above Wingo, Safety improvements are not
<br />considered to be major actions,
<br />If, upon completion of the Busway Feasibility
<br />Study, a consensus is reached by residents and
<br />responsible authorities as to an acceptable
<br />improvement plan, consideration will be given to
<br />prioritizing projects in the Aspen area, At that time
<br />a supplement to this Final EIS will be written prior
<br />to undertaking any type of major action in the
<br />upper Roaring Fork Valley,
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