US 60 Alignment Study

141 Pages·2011·4.41 MB·English

Arizona Department of Transportation
Environmental Planning Group
Final
Environmental
Assessment
US 60 Alignment Study:
Superstition Freeway
to Florence Junction
STP-060-C(AUN)
060 PN 198 H7004 01L
May 2011

Final Environmental Assessment STP-060-C(AUN)
US 60 Alignment Study: Superstition Freeway to Florence Junction 060 PN 198 H7004 01L

TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of acronyms and abbreviations............................................................................ii
I. Preface........................................................................................................................1
II. Mitigation Measures..................................................................................................4
III. Changes to the Draft Environmental Assessment..............................................15

APPENDICES
APPENDIX A – PUBLIC AND AGENCY COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THE DRAFT
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND ADOT RESPONSES
APPENDIX B – PUBLIC HEARING TRANSCRIPT
APPENDIX C – ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT’S GUIDELINES FOR HANDLING
SONORAN DESERT TORTOISES ENCOUNTERED ON DEVELOPMENT
PROJECTS

i
Final Environmental Assessment STP-060-C(AUN)
US 60 Alignment Study: Superstition Freeway to Florence Junction 060 PN 198 H7004 01L

LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ADMP Area Drainage Master Plan
ADOT Arizona Department of Transportation
ASLD Arizona State Land Department
ASM Arizona State Museum
cfs cubic feet per second
CO carbon monoxide
CWA Clean Water Act
EA Environmental Assessment
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FIRM Flood Insurance Rate Map
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
MP milepost
NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
NRHP National Register of Historic Places
OWH Old West Highway
PM fine particulate matter 10 micrometers and smaller
10
SR State Route
TI traffic interchange
US United States

ii
Final Environmental Assessment STP-060-C(AUN)
US 60 Alignment Study: Superstition Freeway to Florence Junction 060 PN 198 H7004 01L

I. PREFACE
A. Project Description
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) are proposing improvements to the United States (US) 60 roadway. The project is
located in Pinal County, Arizona, southeast of the Superstition Freeway starting at the Goldfield
Road traffic interchange at MP 198.7 and extends 12.3 miles southeast to MP 211.0, just west of
the intersection of US 60 and State Route (SR) 79 at Florence Junction. Improvements will be as
follows:
(cid:131) From the eastern end of the Superstition Freeway segment of US 60, realign the highway
by diverging south from the existing freeway, heading southeast and parallel to the
existing roadway away from the Gold Canyon community, and moving east to reconnect
with the existing highway corridor east of the Renaissance Festival location.
(cid:131) Construct service traffic interchanges (as part of the project or to be constructed in the
future by others when traffic warrants) at the proposed extensions of Houston, Elliot,
Peralta, and Germann Roads, at El Camino Viejo, and at milepost (MP) 210.0.
(cid:131) Realign Old West Highway (OWH) to join the existing US 60 at the intersection with
Goldfield Road north of US 60 in Apache Junction.
(cid:131) Signalize and realign the intersection of Mountain View Road with the realigned OWH
and extend to the south to the new US 60 alignment.
(cid:131) Widen the existing US 60 east of the Renaissance Festival location from a rural arterial
highway to a fringe-urban, full access controlled six-lane freeway (three lanes in each
direction separated by a 32- to 80-foot-wide median).
(cid:131) Turnback the existing segment of US 60 that would be bypassed to serve as a local
arterial primarily serving local traffic.
1
Final Environmental Assessment STP-060-C(AUN)
US 60 Alignment Study: Superstition Freeway to Florence Junction 060 PN 198 H7004 01L

(cid:131) Connect local access roads to private parcels that will lose direct access to US 60 and
El Camino Viejo.
B. Summary of the Environmental Assessment Process
A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for this project was signed by FHWA on
October 6, 2010. A public hearing was held on November 4, 2010 at Mountain Brook Village,
Superstition Hall, 5674 South Marble Drive in Gold Canyon, Arizona to provide the public with
an update on the design concept and Draft EA, and to give them an opportunity to comment on
the project.
The public comment period for the Draft EA began on October 20, 2010 and ended on
December 15, 2010. Copies of the Draft EA were available for public review throughout the
comment period at the Apache Junction City Hall, the Apache Junction Public Library, the
Peralta Trails Elementary School, and the ADOT project website at
http://www.azdot.gov/Highways/Valley_Freeways/US60/Pinal_County/index.asp. Comments on
the Draft EA were received by letter, e-mail, and on written comment sheets submitted at the
public hearing, and through comments transcribed during the open comment/question portion of
the hearing by the court reporter in attendance at the hearing.
The purpose of this Final EA is to respond to the comments received during the public and
agency review period, to address changes to the conceptual design in response to public and
agency input, and to provide additions and changes to the Draft EA where necessary. With the
completion of this Final EA and the issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact by FHWA,
the National Environmental Policy Act requirements have been met.
2
Final Environmental Assessment STP-060-C(AUN)
US 60 Alignment Study: Superstition Freeway to Florence Junction 060 PN 198 H7004 01L

C. Guide to this Document
This Final EA is presented in addendum format and must be considered in conjunction with the
Draft EA.
The following section of this Final EA includes a complete list of mitigation measures that will
be implemented for this project. Mitigation measures are subdivided according to the responsible
party: ADOT Design, ADOT Phoenix District, and Contractor.
The Final EA also includes text changes to the Draft EA made in response to public and agency
comments as well as minor adjustments to the project description.
Some changes were made globally to the Draft EA text. References to “Preferred” Alternative
have been changed to “Selected” Alternative, except in sections recounting the public
involvement process. References to “would” in connection with the Selected Alternative have
been changed to “will.” In addition, all references to “would” in connection with the contractor’s
responsibilities have been changed to “shall.”
To provide the relevant context for each edit or change other than the global edits, the original
Draft EA paragraphs that require changes have been included in their entirety in this Final EA.
At the beginning of each of these paragraphs, the original Draft EA section titles are given for
the reader’s orientation. Only original Draft EA paragraphs with non-global edits or changes are
reproduced here.
Appendix A provides a table that details the public and agency comments received during the
Draft EA public comment period, along with ADOT responses. Appendix B presents a copy of
the public hearing transcript. Appendix C presents a copy of the Arizona Game and Fish
Department’s Guidelines for Handling Sonoran Desert Tortoises Encountered on Development
Projects (Revised October 23, 2007).
3
Final Environmental Assessment STP-060-C(AUN)
US 60 Alignment Study: Superstition Freeway to Florence Junction 060 PN 198 H7004 01L

II. MITIGATION MEASURES
Mitigation measures have been defined to avoid or minimize the environmental impacts of the
proposed project. Mitigation measures that have been revised or added since the Draft EA are
identified with strikethrough (strikethrough) for deleted text, and with italics for new or
substituted text. These mitigation measures are not subject to change without prior written
approval from the Federal Highway Administration.
Arizona Department of Transportation Design Responsibilities
1. The right-of-way for the existing segment of United States Highway Route 60 that will be
bypassed by the realignment portion of the project will revert to Pinal County ownership
upon completion of the Build Alternative. At that time, the road will serve as a local arterial
primarily serving local traffic. An Intergovernmental Agreement will be developed during
the design phase to ensure required improvements are made to the Old West Highway
segment before responsibility will be transferred to the County.
2. During final design, the Arizona Department of Transportation project manager will contact
the Arizona Department of Transportation Environmental Planning Group hazardous
materials coordinator to arrange for the preparation of an updated Preliminary Initial Site
Assessment, lead-based paint assessment, and asbestos assessment.
3. During final design, the Arizona Department of Transportation project manager will contact
the Arizona Department of Transportation Environmental Planning Group noise coordinator
to arrange for qualified personnel to review and update the noise analysis.
4. During final design, the Arizona Department of Transportation, in coordination with Pinal
County, will identify and incorporate design measures to reduce overall visual impacts
resulting from project construction.
4