UNITED WE STAND

The page you are viewing was Last Updated on:  Thursday, July 11, 2002

The Southern Beltway:  US-22 to I-79

Detailed studies for the Southern Beltway from U.S. Route 22 to Interstate 79 are nearing completion.  Issues raised at the December 2000 series of public open house meetings and those identified from the detailed studies for the project, have been evaluated and refinements have been made to the alternatives being considered for the project.  Coordination with the environmental resource agencies, PENNDOT and the Federal Highway Administration will occur during the next few months to present the findings of the detailed studies.

Once this information is reviewed by the appropriate agencies, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be prepared and released for public review and a public hearing will be held.  The DEIS will present the analysis of the alternatives being evaluated in the detailed studies:

Alternative B-1, Alternative B-2 and Alternative B-3, as well as the No Build Alternative. 

The release of the DEIS is anticipated for late 2002 or early 2003.  It is expected that a Recommended Preferred Alternatives will be identified in the DEIS.

Following consideration of the comments received from the DEIS and public hearing, a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will be prepared and circulated for public comment.  After the comments from the FEIS are evaluated, the Federal Highway Administration will issue a Record of Decision, which will identify the selected alternative for the project.  Final design, right-of-way acquisition and construction could then begin for the project, providing that funding is identified for these phases of the project.