Federal Aid Project No. STP 2603 (501) Environmental Assessment Lower Harvey Canal Crossing State Project No. 700-26-0274 Federal Aid Project No. STP 2603 (501) Environmental Assessment PUBLIC MEETINGS JANUARY 11th & 13th , 2005

MEETING AGENDA Welcome / Introductions Project Overview: Purpose and Need for Project Environmental Assessment Alternatives Developed for Consideration Brief (30 min.) recess for examination of exhibits and one-on-one Q & A Public Comment and Questions Adjournment

PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED NEED FOR NEW LOWER HARVEY CANAL CROSSING: West Bank is one of the remaining growth areas in the metro area south of Lake Pontchartrain. As most of the areas closer to the river have been developed , new growth is focused more towards the southern areas of Jefferson Parish and in Plaquemines Parish. Several transportation projects underway or under study to provide better access, both now and in anticipation of this growth:

1. Destrehan Avenue Widening, Lapalco to Patriot 2. Extension of Destrehan Avenue to Lafitte-Larose Hwy 3. Peters Road on- and off-ramps at West Bank Expressway 4. Extension of Harvey Blvd across Bayou Barataria Outfall Canal to Engineers Road 5. Extension of Peters Road via bridge across GIWW into Plaquemines Parish 6. Extension of Harvey Blvd to Peters Rd. 3 1 4 6 2 5

Upper Harvey Canal has 4 crossing points: LA 18, Harvey Tunnel, West Bank Expressway, Lapalco Blvd. No crossing of Harvey Canal below Lapalco Blvd., yet this is where growth is occurring Lapalco Blvd. currently has a narrowing at the Harvey Canal - the bridge is 4 lanes while the boulevard is 6 lanes on either side. New Crossing of Lower Harvey Canal is needed to address these issues.

PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED Purpose of New Lower Harvey Canal Crossing : Provide added accessibility for West Bank residents and businesses Increase the capacity for east-west travel on the West Bank Become a key addition to the local hurricane evacuation network Could help commercial traffic, including flow from proposed Millennium Port

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Q: What is an Environmental Assessment? A: Study in which several tasks are performed:

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Define/Describe purpose and need for project Describe the area to be affected (study area) Develop alternative measures to be taken to address purpose and need (at least two: one will always be the No-Build Alternative) Build alternatives will be evaluated, and those that do not adequately address the purpose and need or which are not feasible will be eliminated from further consideration Describe and compare the impacts to the study area resulting from the alternatives: the Build Alternative(s) and the No Build Alternative Select a Preferred Alternative, and summarize its impacts Document all work, including Public Participation

3 preliminary areas for crossings: Lapalco (parallel span or widening), Harvey Boulevard, & Engineers Road area Engineers Road area eliminated due to physical constraints and lack of access for residents 2 types of bridge crossing considered at Harvey Blvd.: moveable-span and fixed-span 2 alternatives developed at Harvey Blvd; one includes Harvey Blvd. extension to Peters Rd., the other connects directly to Peters Road

DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES Four Alternatives Considered: Alternative 1: Lapalco Blvd. Parallel Span Bridge (moveable span) Alternative 2: New Moveable Span Bridge at Harvey Blvd. connecting to Harvey Blvd. extension Alternative 3: New Fixed Span Bridge at Harvey Blvd. connecting to Harvey Blvd. extension Alternative 4: New Moveable Span Bridge at Harvey Blvd. corridor connecting to Peters Road

Evaluation of Build Alternatives Explore pros and cons, impacts of each Use information gathered to date Consider public input Complete Alternative Evaluation

Final Steps (after Alternative Evalaution) Examine and document likely environmental impacts of Build Alternative(s) vs. No-Build alternative Select Preferred Alternative Complete EA document and hold Public Hearing Obtain Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

THANK YOU Lower Harvey Canal Crossing EA c/o N-Y Associates, Inc. Written Comments may be sent to: Lower Harvey Canal Crossing EA c/o N-Y Associates, Inc. 2750 Lake Villa Dr. Metairie, LA 70002 Letters should be postmarked by January 23rd, 2005