Press Release
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY
BEGINS FOR PA ROUTE 23

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA (August 17, 2001) - The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT) and the County of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, today announced the beginning of Step 5 of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the PA Route 23 Corridor from the PA Route 23/US 30 interchange to US 322. Step 5 of PENNDOT's 10-Step Transportation Development Process involves detailed engineering and environmental analysis to evaluate potential improvements to the PA Route 23 Corridor. Opportunities for public participation and input are provided throughout the 10-Step Process.

"We're looking forward to continuing work on this project with Lancaster County," said Larry King, PENNDOT's Deputy Secretary for Planning. "This EIS will further identify and evaluate alternatives which address the significant transportation problems within the PA Route 23 Corridor. In addition, this is a unique opportunity for PENNDOT to work with a county in developing a coordinated land use plan."

The project involves possible improvements to approximately 14 miles of corridor spanning from the PA Route 23/U.S. Route 30 interchange to just east of US 322 and extends about 1.6 miles on each side of PA Route 23. The corridor includes Earl Township, East Earl Township, East Lampeter Township, Manheim Township, Upper Leacock Township, and New Holland Borough in Lancaster, County. An earlier Major Investment Study (MIS) gathered data, which resulted in the identification of transportation needs and preliminary solutions. An entire spectrum of alternatives was initially investigated, ranging from No-Build to new relocation. As a result of that study, the following solutions have demonstrated the ability to meet the project needs and will be studied in Step 5. Those solutions include: No-Build, Transportation System Management (TSM) and Transit Alternatives, Three lane corridor widening which includes TSM and transit components, and three relocation alternatives which also include TSM and transit components. All three of the relocation alternatives utilize the existing "Goat Path", a graded but unpaved roadway built in 1974, which extends from US 30 to PA 772.

The first relocation alternative, the Bareville Connector, would begin at US 30 and connect the Goat Path to a new roadway extending to PA Route 23 in the vicinity of Bareville. This alternative also includes widening PA Route 23 to three lanes from Bareville to US 322. The second relocation alternative is referred to as the Southern Alignment. This alignment begins at US 30 and utilizes the Goat Path and connects to a new roadway south of New Holland Borough. This new roadway would then extend to US 322 in Blue Ball. The third relocation alternative, the Railroad Alignment, has been developed in concept only. This conceptual alignment connects a new roadway to the Goat Path using the same alignment as the Bareville Connector and then runs parallel to the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks through New Holland.

The further development of alternatives will be based on traffic demands, engineering requirements, environmental and socioeconomic constraints, the county's growth management plan, and public input. Socioeconomic and land use impacts; the unique social subgroups; effects on cultural and natural resources; agricultural preservation; roadway safety; business-industry; tourism; and economic stability are all issues to be addressed by the EIS.

"The EIS will help us determine transportation solutions for the present and the future," stated Paul Thibault, Chairman, Lancaster County Commissioners. "It is imperative that those who live and work in the project area help us develop this study. Their participation will result in the best possible solution(s) to our transportation deficiencies in the project area." Public involvement and interagency coordination will occur throughout the EIS development. KCI Technologies, Inc. of Mechanicsburg, PA will lead a team of consultants selected to assist PENNDOT and Lancaster County in completing the EIS.

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