DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Finding Allegheny County [35 Pa.B. 1484] Under section 2002(b) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 512(b)), the Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration makes the following written finding:
The Turnpike Commission plans to construct the Mon/Fayette Expressway in Allegheny County from PA 51 in Jefferson Hills, Allegheny County to the Monongahela River at Duquesne, Allegheny County. There it crosses the river to East Pittsburgh where it splits with east and west sections. The east section proceeds to an interchange with I-376 (Parkway East) at Monroeville, Allegheny County. The west section proceeds to an interchange with I-376 (Parkway East) at PA 885, Bates Street and Second Avenue, in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County. The project is the construction of a four-lane, limited access toll highway.
The Selected North Shore Alternative will require acquisition of right-of-way from 38 properties totaling 161 acres of National Register of Historic Places listed or eligible property and 1.3 miles of trails and historic rail lines. These resources are: U. S. Steel Duquesne Works, J. Edgar Thomson Works, Union Railroad, Fanny Handel House, Robinson Street Row Houses, Clawson Houses, B & O Railroad, Hazelwood Historic District, Barker Property, D. L. Thomas Dry Goods, J & L Steel Corporation, Fleetwood Drive Playground, Riverview CommunityPark, Frick Park Extension, Steel Valley Trail, Glenwood Play Area, Elizabeth Street Tot Lot, Eliza Furnace Trail and Frazier Playground. The project will not use land from any public wildlife and/or waterfowl refuge. All possible planning to minimize harm to historic and park/recreational resources has been incorporated into the project. The Selected North Shore Alternative will have the least harm to these resources. The United States Department of Interior, in correspondence dated October 6, 2004, concurred in the finding that there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use of Section 4(f) resources and that all possible planning to minimize harm has been incorporated. Mitigation commitments for the Section 2002 resources are documented in the Record of Decision for the project.
With the completion of all the mitigation commitments documented in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, Final Section 4(f) Evaluation and Record of Decision for the project, it is concluded that no ''prudent and feasible'' alternative to the selected action exists, and all reasonable steps have been taken to minimize the effects of the proposed action.
GARY L. HOFFMAN, P. E.,
Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration[Pa.B. Doc. No. 05-381. Filed for public inspection February 25, 2005, 9:00 a.m.]
