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