Newsletter No.2 
Page 2

Summaries of Agency and Public Comments

Purpose and Need - support was expressed for the need for a more direct route to the airport and improved signage along roadways in the vicinity of the airport.
Alternatives - questions and comments focused on site and design considerations that need to be considered including potential impacts to the environment and structures, steep grades and safety concerns. 
Environmental - concerns focused on potential impacts to wetlands, sensitive habitats and species, water quality and quantity, agricultural land and wildlife movement corridors across I-70. 
Project Process - comments generally expressed the need for immediate improvements and to include the public throughout the process. It was also suggested to include current and future land use in the analysis.

Alternatives Being Studied
Ten alternatives, labeled A through J, were developed through the I-70/Eagle Airport Interchange Concept Study (January 1999) of the six-mile long segment between Eagle and Gypsum (see map ). These alternatives were selected based on the following criteria: 

• Accommodate an interchange that would meet CDOT design criteria

• Connect with a road which leads to the airport

• Minimize potential impacts on wetlands, riparian areas and structures

The first phase in the EA process is identifying issues and concerns, including comments received from agency scoping meetings, small group meetings and the public open house. Based on the comments received and initial engineering and environmental evaluations, several additional alternatives and some modifications of the existing alternatives are currently being evaluated for their feasibility along with alternatives A through J. New alternatives under study include alternatives K1, K2, K3 and L which were identified at, or subsequent to, the Public Open House (see map).


Alternatives Screening

Once the alternatives have been refined and/or developed, they will undergo Level 1 Screening to determine which of the alternatives are reasonable, feasible, and meet the purpose and need of the project.

Alternatives retained during Level 1 Screening are carried forward and evaluated against environmental and engineering criteria. First, critical environmental and engineering factors are mapped to identify constraints to and opportunities for locating an interchange and connector road. Constraints occur when alternatives cross environmental features that are problematic for mitigation and should be avoided. Threatened and endangered species and significant cultural resources are examples of such features.

Level 2 screening will then focus on whether the alternatives can meet technical and environmental screening criteria as follows:

• Geotechnical constraints (e.g., unstable soils/structures)

• Ability to meet CDOT and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design criteria

• Engineering cost factors regarding qualitative information for general construction requirements (e.g., cut and fill, bridge length), right-of-way acquisition, and ongoing maintenance requirements

• Potential impacts on wetlands and riparian areas

• Potential impacts on threatened and endangered species

• Potential impacts on wildlife habitat and/or movement corridors

• Potential impacts on land uses

• Potential effects from hazardous materials transport

• Potential impacts on 4(f) properties

• Potential impacts on cultural resources

• Potential visual and socioeconomic impacts

• Potential impacts to agricultural lands

• Potential impacts to private land owners

The alternatives that remain through the screening process will be carried forward for a more in-depth study through Environmental Analysis.


Opportunities For Public Involvement 
Please contact Michelle Li, the Public Involvement Manager for this project, with any questions or comments you may have, to request a small group meeting or to be added to the mailing list. Michelle's e-mail is Mli@jfsato.com and the mailing address is 5898 S. Rapp St., Littleton, CO, 80120. You can also visit the project website at www.i70-eagle-airport-interchange-ea.com to review the previous fact sheet or e-mail your comments. 

Upcoming Events
CDOT will announce the date, location and time of future Public Open Houses via mailings, newspaper ads, local postings and on the project website.

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