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Project Title & Location
SR 543 - I-5 to Canadian Border - Additional Lanes for Freight
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Project Description
Constructs new lanes between Boblett Street and the Canadian border for a separate truck route to address congestion and safety issues on SR 543. Constructs a new interchange at "D" Street. There are currently two lanes. There will be four lanes when this project is completed.
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Recent Progress
R/W acquisition is nearly complete, with only two parcels outstanding. Construction plans are also nearly complete, with 100% plans due to be submitted by mid-April, and final reviews scheduled immediately after that.
A Value Engineering (VE) study has also been scheduled in order to indentify ways to reduce construction costs and better manage traffic control during construction.
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Environmental Impacts / Compliance
An initial Environmental Assessment was completed with a finding of "no significant impact" issued in Sept. 2001. Design modifications last year required that the Environmental Assessment be updated - the updated discipline reports were completed in March 2005.
Environmental permit applications were submitted to the MAP Team in Decemeber 2004, with permit issuance anticipated in August 2005
The Wetland Mitigation Plan was updated earlier this month to reflect changes in the required buffers at the wetland mitigation site. NWR Environmental is currently reviewing the update.
Stormwater systems will be upgraded to modern standards. Wetland impacts will be mitigated with a replacement area within the same drainage basin.
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Impacts to Traffic
Construction is currently planned to start summer 2005 and take two years to complete. Traffic may be detoured around portions of State Route 543 to facilitate intersection construction. At least one lane of traffic in each direction will be required to provide access to the border at all times.
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