(Editor’s note: News releases are published as submitted unless there are errors of fact.)
Formal comment period begins; three public hearings set for October
The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the 55-mile North-South Corridor, stretching from US 60 in Apache Junction to Interstate 10 in Eloy in Pinal County, is now available for review and comment.
Following several years of study, technical analysis and input from communities and stakeholders, moving to this phase is a milestone for the proposed corridor.
The purpose of the North-South freeway is enhancing the area’s transportation network to accommodate the current and future population, improving access to businesses and other centers of activity, improving regional mobility, providing an alternative to and reducing congestion on Interstate 10, improving north-to-south connectivity, and integrating the region’s transportation network.
Members of the public are encouraged to review the draft environmental document and provide input through Oct. 29, 2019. The Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement is available at azdot.gov/northsouthstudy, and the website lists locations throughout the study area where copies of the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement are available for review.
Prepared by the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement describes the study process, completed in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. It proposes a Preferred Corridor Alternative, including a parallel analysis of a No-Build Alternative. If constructed, the freeway would connect with State Route 24 in Queen Creek.
The Preferred Corridor Alternative is 1,500 feet wide and includes an area where construction of a North-South freeway could be further analyzed. If a corridor is selected at the end of the Tier 1 study, further Tier 2 studies and evaluations must take place before construction could be considered. The corridor would be narrowed to a highway alignment, which is about 400 feet wide.
An alignment determining where the North-South freeway could be built would be decided during a future phase of design and environmental studies. There currently are no plans or funding available to initiate these Tier 2 studies.
The same information, as well as opportunities for the public to comment, will be available at each of these public hearings:
Tuesday, Oct. 1
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Florence High School
1000 S. Main St.
Florence
Thursday, Oct. 10
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Eloy City Hall
595 N. C St.
Eloy
Tuesday, Oct. 15
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Poston Butte High School
32375 N. Gantzel Road
San Tan Valley
In addition to providing verbal or written comments at a public hearing, members of the public can submit comments using the following methods:
Online: azdot.gov/northsouthstudy
Email: northsouth@azdot.gov
Bilingual Phone: 855.712.8530
Mail: North-South Tier 1 EIS Study Team, c/o ADOT Communications, 1655 W. Jackson St., Mail Drop 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Printed copies of the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement are available for review at the following locations:
- Eloy Santa Cruz Library: 1000 N. Main St., Eloy, 85131
- Coolidge Public Library: 160 W. Central Ave., Coolidge, 85128
- Florence Community Library: 778 N. Main St., Florence, 85132
- Apache Junction Public Library: 1177 N. Idaho Road, Apache Junction, 85119
- Queen Creek Library: 21802 S. Ellsworth Rd., Queen Creek, 85142
Once the public comment period is complete for the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, the North-South Corridor study team will continue to evaluate the Preferred Corridor Alternative based on the comments received and the ongoing technical analysis. The combined Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement and the Record of Decision will present either a Selected Corridor Alternative or the No-Build Option. The Tier 1 environmental study is expected to be complete in 2020.
For more information about the North-South Corridor Study and the Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, please visit azdot.gov/northsouthstudy.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other nondiscrimination laws and authorities, ADOT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Persons that require a reasonable accommodation based on language or disability should contact Laura Douglas, ADOT Community Relations Project Manager, at 602.712.7683 or ldouglas@azdot.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to ensure the State has an opportunity to address the accommodation.
De acuerdo con el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA por sus siglas en inglés) y otras normas y leyes antidiscriminatorias, el Departamento de Transporte de Arizona (ADOT) no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, edad o discapacidad. Las personas que requieran asistencia (dentro de lo razonable) ya sea por el idioma o discapacidad deben ponerse en contacto con la Laura Douglas al 602.712.7683 o ldouglas@azdot.gov. Las solicitudes deben hacerse lo más antes posible para asegurar que el Estado tenga la oportunidad de hacer los arreglos necesarios.
