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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    District 2 Projects - Centre County

    State College Area Connector

    State College Area Connector Project - NEPA Phase Summary

    The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), proposes construction of an approximately 8-mile four-lane limited access facility connecting the Mount Nittany Expressway near Boalsburg to the newly constructed limited access portion of U.S. 322 at Potters Mills.

    A Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study was completed that identified three Build Alternative corridors to advance for further study. These three PEL Build Alternatives corridors provide the foundation for outlining the current study area for which preliminary engineering and detailed environmental investigations will occur under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

    This website is intended to facilitate the public outreach efforts undertaken by PennDOT and FHWA during the NEPA process​.

    Anticipated NEPA Schedule

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a Federal law that was signed into law on January 1, 1970. NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions. The range of actions covered by NEPA is broad and includes:

    • making decisions on permit applications,
    • adopting federal land management actions, and
    • constructing highways and other publicly owned facilities.

    Using the NEPA process, agencies evaluate the environmental and related social and economic effects of their proposed actions. Public review and comment are also required in NEPA evaluations.

    An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a government document that is prepared for federally funded projects that may result in significant impacts on the environment. FHWA states “An EIS is a full disclosure document that details the process through which a transportation project was developed, includes consideration of a range of reasonable alternatives, analyzes the potential impacts resulting from the alternatives, and demonstrates compliance with other applicable environmental laws and executive orders. The EIS process is completed in the following ordered steps: Notice of Intent (NOI), draft EIS, final EIS, and record of decision (ROD).”

    Past Public Outreach

    Press Release Archive

    Contact Information

    Eric Murnyack
    Design Project Manager
    814-765-0435
    emurnyack@pa.gov

    Leigh Woolridge
    814-768-0722
    lwoolridge@pa.gov

    Timothy Nebgen
    Community Relations Coordinator
    814-765-0598
    tnebgen@pa.gov

    Accessibility

    The project documents can be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested. If you need translation or interpretation services, have special needs, or have concerns that require individual attention, please contact the PennDOT Project Manager listed above.

    Title VI

    Pursuant to the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, PennDOT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. If you feel that you have been denied the benefits of, or participation in a PennDOT program or activity, you may contact the PennDOT, Bureau of Equal Opportunity, DBE/Title VI Division at 717-787-5891.