South Mountain Freeway comment deadline extended to Dec. 29

PHOENIX – With the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration issuing an addendum – called an Errata – to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed South Mountain Freeway, the comment period has been extended to Dec. 29 for final comments before a Record of Decision is issued in 2015.

Of the more than 8,000 comments received during the public review period for the South Mountain Freeway Draft Environmental Impact Statement, it was noted that 10 comments submitted in 2013 were inadvertently not relayed to the study team for incorporation into the Final Environmental Impact Statement, which was released Sept. 26. As a result, the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration issued a “Notice of Omission” in the Federal Register and published an Errata to the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

The Errata contains the 10 comments and formal responses to those comments; it will be available for a 30-day public review period. The Errata can be found at these 18 locations:

• Phoenix Public Library – Cesar Chavez; 3635 W. Baseline Road, Laveen; 602.262.4636
• Phoenix Public Library – Desert Sage; 7602 W. Encanto Blvd., Phoenix; 602.262.4636
• Phoenix Public Library – Ironwood; 4333 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix; 602.262.4636
• Phoenix Public Library – Burton Barr; 1221 N. Central Ave., Phoenix; 602.262.4636
• Chandler Sunset Library; 4930 W. Ray Road, Chandler; 480.782.2800
• Sam Garcia Western Avenue Library; 495 E. Western Ave., Avondale; 623.333.2565
• Tolleson West Public Library; 9555 W. Van Buren St., Tolleson; 623.936.2746
• Tempe Public Library; 3500 S. Rural Road, Tempe; 480.350.5500
• ADOT Environmental Planning Group; 1611 W. Jackson St., Phoenix; 602.712.7767 (call for appointment)
• Gila River Indian Community District 1 Service Center; 15747 N. Shegoi Road, Coolidge; 520.215.2110
• Gila River Indian Community District 2 Service Center; 9239 W. Sacaton Flats Road, Sacaton; 520.562.3450/520.562.3358/520.562.1807
• Gila River Indian Community District 3 Service Center; 31 N. Church St., Sacaton; 520.562.2700
• Gila River Indian Community District 4 Service Center; 1510 W. Santan St., Sacaton; 520.418.3661/520.418.3228
• Gila River Indian Community District 5 Service Center; 3456 W. Casa Blanca Road, Bapchule; 520.315.3441/520.315.3445
• Gila River Indian Community District 6 Service Center; 5230 W. St. Johns Road, Laveen; 520.550.3805/520.550.3806/520.550.3557
• Gila River Indian Community District 7 Service Center; 8201 W. Baseline Road, Laveen; 520.430.4780
• Gila River Indian Community – Ira Hayes Library; 94 N. Church St., Sacaton; 520.562.3225
• Gila River Indian Community Communications & Public Affairs Office; 525 W. Gu U Ki Road, Sacaton; 520.562.9851

A Record of Decision is expected in early 2015. The final decision on construction of the freeway is a cooperative effort involving ADOT, the Federal Highway Administration and the Maricopa Association of Governments as the regional planning agency. The corridor is part of a comprehensive, voter-approved regional plan developed by the Maricopa Association of Governments, and ADOT serves as the agency responsible for implementation of that plan, with the Federal Highway Administration providing the oversight required to use federal transportation funds.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway, email [email protected], call 602.712.7006, or write to ADOT Community Relations, 1655 W. Jackson St., MD126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007.