January 22, 2007 - - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in conjunction with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), have reached agreement to drop Practical Alternative 3 (PA-3) from further consideration for the project to expand the Blue Water Bridge Plaza in Port Huron. The key federal agencies involved and MDOT have agreed that PA-3, located in Port Huron Township, does not from a national security standpoint meet the purpose and need of the project established for the Plaza expansion.
"The elimination of PA-3 will reduce community uncertainty about the final location of the expanded plaza and will enable MDOT and the community to focus on the issues related to the remaining alternatives," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle.
The Blue Water Bridge Plaza Study was undertaken in 2002 to improve the safety and movement of people and goods across the U.S./Canadian border and to increase the efficiency of security inspections of vehicles, goods and drivers. Since then, 18 alternatives have been studied. Of those, PA-2, PA-3, and the No-Build Alternative remained under consideration. MDOT later developed a new Practical Alternative, PA-4, referred to as the hybrid alternative, at the request of CBP, and introduced it at a public information meeting on Sept. 28, 2006. On Nov. 29, 2006, MDOT announced that it viewed PA-4 as the most suitable alternative for enhancing national security and accommodating both existing and future border traffic. PA-4 expands the existing plaza by 50 acres and redirects Pine Grove Avenue around the plaza to the west. MDOT will continue analyzing the remaining Practical Alternatives (PA-2, PA-4, and the No-Build), and plans to issue a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) during the summer of 2007 for public review and comment.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement will be released in the spring of 2008, followed by a Record of Decision that fall. A Record of Decision formally ends the environmental study process and allows the project to proceed to final design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction.
More information regarding the Blue Water Bridge Plaza Study is available online at the project Web site at www.michigan.gov/mdotstudies and its toll-free number at 800-955-3515.
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