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PORTION OF FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE The 1-69 corridor (originally known as Corridors 18 and 20) were designated by the U.S. Congress as a High-Priority Corridor of National Significance in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). It was further defined in the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) in 1998 consistent with the congressional designation. The overall purpose of 1-69 is to improve international and interstate trade and to facilitate state, regional, and local economic development and surface transportation plans. Numerous planning and feasibility studies have been conducted to refine planning efforts subsequent to ISTEA and TEA 21, including Special Studies on Sections of Independent Utility (1999) and a Statement of Purpose and Need (February 2000). The Statement of Purpose and Need identified benefits to the Nation that have been shown to outweigh the costs of building 1-69. These benefits are related to system linkage, capacity, transportation demand, economic development, modal/freight interrelationships, safety, and roadway deficiencies. These studies also show that an interstate highway facility would best meet the transportation modal choice. The overall length of the 1-69 corridor and related projects is more than 1,600 miles and falls within nine States (Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas). The length of the corridor precludes the planning, development, and decisionmaking for the full corridor as a single construction project. For the purposes of planning, 1-69 has been divided into 32 Sections of Independent Utility (SIU). Twenty-six of these sections form a continuous route from the Michigan/Canada border to the Texas/Mexico border, and six sections are identified as connection routes to 1-69. The SlU's were developed in a manner consistent with the FHWA memorandum dated November 3, 1993, on establishing logical termini. On September 27, 1999, they were approved by FHWA for advancement to the FHWA National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decisionmaking process. In some cases, the FHWA NEPA process, documentation, and approvals have already been applied to projects and work activities within the corridor and SIU. The advancement of 1-69 is moving from the corridor planning and feasibility study stages to the state project planning, development, and FHWA NEPA process and decisionmaking stages. Each state will advance the SIU, addressing state and local needs, schedules, and fUnding constraints in accordance with the FHWA NEPA process. At the same time, transcontinental trade and the congressional designations will be integral to this process and decisionmaking. We in FHWA will partner with the State DOT'S to facilitate the FHWA NEPA process and the decisionmaking by State, local and Federal officials. As a member of the 1-69 Steering Committee and Director of Field Services - South, FHWA, I gladly accept the challenge to serve as the FHWA Executive Official to facilitate coordination among the states and FHWA on the FHWA NEPA process and States project management, development, and decisionmaking. While all of us are commended for the progress made to date, we still have major challenges to overcome if 1-69 is to become a reality:
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