Categorical Exclusion Form (NEPA).pdf

October 14, 2021

Mr. Jamie Christian

Division Administrator

Federal Highway Administration

350 Torre Chardón, Suite 210

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918

CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION

EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM

SIGNING AND GUARDRAIL IMPROVEMENTS

VARIOUS ROADWAYS IN THE ISLAND

ISLANDWIDE, PUERTO RICO

AC-802578, AC-823578, AC-824578, AC-804578,

AC-805578, AC-806578, AC-825578, AC-807578,

AC-831578 (PREVIOUS AC-809578), AC-810578,

AC-811578, AC-812578, AC-813578, AC-814578,

AC-815578, AC-816578, AC-817578, AC-821578

AC-832578 (PREVIOUS AC-818578), AC-819578,

AC-833578 (PREVIOUS AC-828578), AC-820578,

AC-827578

Dear Mr. Christian:

The Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW), through its Highway and

Transportation Authority (PRHTA), propose to perform signing and guardrails improvements on various roadways in the island of Puerto Rico due to the damage occurred by the pass of the Hurricanes Irma and

Maria. As consequence of the damages occurred in the Island, the President Donald Trump, the Governor

Ricardo Rosselló Nevarez and the Secretary of the DTPW, Carlos M. Contreras, declared a state of emergency. See referenced documents enclosed in Appendix A. The proposed improvements will be financed with funds from the Emergency Relief Program associated to Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

During the roads assessment, several damages related to the guardrail and traffic signs system were identified in the roads that need to be addressed to ensure the safety. The damages identified in the road’s corridor included: guardrails damages caused by fallen of trees or poles, and traffic signs that fell off the poles, failed from base or foundation or turned by the winds. The roads affected by the hurricanes are presented in the Table 1. Copy of the Damaged Detailed Inspection Reports (DDIR) for each road are included on Appendix B.

Categorical Exclusion Emergency Relief Program - Signing and Guardrail Improvements Various Roadways in the Island Islandwide, PR

Table 1: List of roadways by projects.

AC Number Construction

Roads

802578 PR-111

823578 PR-63, PR-64, PR-65, PR-105, PR-106, PR-108, PR-339, PR-342, PR-348, PR-349, PR-351, PR-354 & PR-3349, PR-100, PR-309, PR-319, PR-343, PR-344, PR-345 and PR-334 and 22 municipal roads

824578 PR-416, PR-417, PR-419, PR-441, PR-4416, PR-124, PR-409, PR-4406, PR-411, PR-412 & PR-413 and 4 municipal roads

804578 PR-178, PR-753, PR-755, PR-15, PR-179, PR-713, PR-742, PR-744, PR-748, PR-7707, PR- 7741, PR-140, PR-141, PR-144, PR-533, PR-5141, PR-5144, PR-701, PR-706, PR-712, PR- 717, PR-7701, PR-150, PR-151, PR-514 and 23 municipal roads

805578

PR-186, PR-188, PR-951, PR-954, PR-957, PR-962, PR-8874, PR-9959, PR-975, PR-977, PR-978, PR-979, PR-9974.PR-194, PR-195, PR-976, PR-982, PR-985, PR-986, PR-987, PR- 31, PR-185, PR-198, PR-919, PR-928, PR-929, PR-934, PR-935, PR-9913, PR-9919, PR- 9934, PR-193, PR-940, PR-983, PR-984, PR-991, PR-992, PR-956, PR-958, PR-959, PR- 988, PR-9966 and 43 municipal roads.

806578

PR-174, PR-790, PR-797, PR-816, PR-32, PR-33, PR-34, PR-175, PR-183, PR-189, PR-196, PR-761, PR-763, PR-765, PR-784, PR-795, PR-796, PR-7765, PR-7784, PR-734, PR-787, PR-7733, PR-204, PR-917, PR-926, PR-936, PR-9936, PR-788, PR-912, PR-916, PR-931, PR-980, PR-7788, PR-9912, PR-9931 and 62 municipal roads.

825578 PR-200, PR-201, PR-995, PR-996 & PR-997.

807578

PR-6, PR-29, PR-168, PR-177, PR-812, PR-829, PR-830, PR-831, PR-839, PR-840, PR-855, PR-861, PR-862, PR-864, PR-879, PR-889, PR-890, PR-7790, PR-8855, PR-869, PR-888, PR-8869, PR-19, PR-24, PR-169, PR-833, PR-834, PR-837, PR-838, PR-841, PR-880, PR-21, PR-23, PR-25, PR-27, PR-28, PR-35, PR-36, PR-37, PR-39, PR-40, PR-41, PR-47, PR-798, PR-842, PR-844, PR-846, PR-8838, PR-176, PR-843, PR-845, PR-849, PR-850, PR-852 & PR-876 and 30 municipal roads.

831578 (before 809578)

PR-14, PR-123, PR-133, PR-139, PR-163, PR-500, PR-501, PR-502, PR-503, PR-504, PR- 505, PR-506, PR-510, PR-585, PR-591, PR-5506, PR-153, PR-161, PR-538, PR-543, PR-545 and 22 municipal roads.

810578

PR-665, PR-666, PR-667, PR-684, PR-142, PR-164, PR-568, PR-771, PR-803, PR-805, PR- 807, PR-818, PR-891, PR-5568, PR-6642, PR-137, PR-159, PR-160, PR-617, PR-618, PR- 633, PR-6622, PR-643, PR-646, PR-670, PR-674, PR-676, PR-686, PR-687, PR-688, PR-689 and 18 municipal roads.

811578

PR-250, PR-251, PR-924, PR-925, PR-927, PR-759, PR-760, PR-901, PR-939, PR-191, PR- 192, PR-205, PR-970, PR-971, PR-972, PR-973, PR-974, PR-181, PR-184, PR-757, PR-758, PR-799, PR-7740, PR-182, PR-902, PR-906, PR-908, PR-920, PR-9909, PR-9910, PR-9914, PR-9918 and 11 municipal roads.

Emergency Relief Program - Signing and Guardrail Improvements Various Roadways in the Island

AC Number Construction

Roads

812578 PR-357, PR-4409, PR-114, PR-119, PR-122, PR-166, PR-312, PR-314, PR-317, PR-318, PR- 320, PR-330, PR-347, PR-360, PR-361, PR-362, PR-396, PR-3362, PR-3363, PR-423, PR- 433, PR-435, PR-445, PR-446, PR-447 and 4 municipal roads.

813578 PR-146, PR-490, PR-492, PR-621, PR-626, PR-628, PR-635, PR-638, PR-639, PR-651, PR- 652, PR-653, PR-656, PR-663, PR-681, PR-682, PR-683 and 16 municipal roads.

827578 67 Municipal Roads (See Table 2, Attached)

814578 PR-132, PR-136, PR-378, PR-149, PR-511, PR-512, PR-535, PR-551, PR-552, PR-570, PR- 580, PR-584, PR-592, PR-385, PR-386, PR-391, PR-520, PR-127, PR-128, PR-335, PR-359, PR-371, PR-372, PR-376 & PR-3372.

815578

PR-659, PR-696, PR-697, PR-698, PR-699, PR-854, PR-6693, PR-8865, PR-641, PR-642, PR-685, PR-6685, PR-821, PR-823, PR-824, PR-825, PR-827, PR-819, PR-863, PR-865, PR- 866, PR-867, PR-872, PR-647, PR-677, PR-690, PR-691, PR-693, PR-694, PR-695, PR-820 and 11 municipal roads.

816578 PR-719, PR-769, PR-773, PR-167, PR-172, PR-775, PR-7780, PR-165, PR-810, PR-813, PR- 814, PR-156, PR-772, PR-5155 and 2 municipal roads

817578

PR-162, PR-173, PR-718, PR-722, PR-723, PR-724, PR-725, PR-726, PR-7718, PR-170, PR- 171, PR-715, PR-730, PR-735, PR-738, PR-741, PR-743, PR-7715, PR-7722, PR-7737, PR- 138, PR-154, PR-155, PR-556, PR-569, PR-576, PR-702, PR-704, PR-720, PR-5556, PR- 5558 & PR-5559 and 29 municipal roads

818578 PR-187, PR-190, PR-848, PR-853, PR-857, PR-858, PR-860, PR-874, PR-887, PR-8860, PR- 8887 and 29 municipal roads.

833578 (before AC-

828578)

PR-129, PR-131, PR-143, PR-518, PR-521, PR-522, PR-523, PR-524, PR-526, PR-5516, PR- 5518 and 9 municipal roads.

819578 PR-101, PR-102, PR-103, PR-301, PR-307, PR-308, PR-311, PR-313, PR-332, PR-333, PR- 334, PR-3116, PR-4116, PR-116, PR-117, PR-118, PR-305, PR-306, PR-315, PR-324, PR- 394, PR-120, PR-121, PR-636, PR-367, PR-368 and 16 municipal roads.

820578

PR-107, PR-125, PR-440, PR-443, PR-459, PR-460, PR-467, PR-4110, PR-4442, PR-109, PR-110, PR-115, PR-402, PR-405, PR-430, PR-113, PR-457, PR-472, PR-473, PR-474, PR- 475, PR-494, PR-112, PR-434, PR-444, PR-466, PR-482, PR-483, PR-485 and 16 municipal roads.

821578 PR-453, PR-456, PR-486, PR-496, PR-4486, PR-134, PR-135, PR-145, PR-157, PR-6632, PR-130, PR-455, PR-487, PR-493, PR-4491, PR-4432, PR-611 and 33 municipal roads.

Note: Roads in italic, underline and bold format are listed or eligible to the NRHP according to SHPO letter on December 20, 2020.

Emergency Relief Program - Signing and Guardrail Improvements Various Roadways in the Island

All the roads mentioned in Table 1 belongs to the National Highway System and are main highways of the island of Puerto Rico. The roads are composed of the four networks of Puerto Rico (primary, urban primary, secondary or inter-municipal, and tertiary or local). In the Appendix C are included the Project’s

Location Maps and, Proposed Project Aerial Photos for each project with its specific roads. The existing roadways sections and geometry of the roads vary in width and length, and it would not be modified. No acquisition of structures and relocation of families or businesses is required for those projects.

Due to the magnitude of damages to this infrastructure, new guardrails and traffic signs need to be installed in the roadways to provide highway user safety. The project consists in the reconstruction of signing and safety devices (associated with Hurricanes Irma and María) along the roads presented in Table

1. The works includes traffic signs assemblies, new guardrails, end-terminals, bridge transition upgrades, new transition modules, traffic signs & guardrails demolition and removal, MOT activities, and other miscellaneous works. The proposed activities will take place within the operational ROW therefore impacts are minimal on the natural environment. The estimated cost for the proposed works is approximately $90,000,000.

No threatened or endangered species and their habitats are expected to be affect by the proposed projects. The Blanket Clearance Letter (Self-Certification Endangered Species Act Certification) for all the sites were submitted to USFWS and copy of the USFWLS concurrences by each project are included in

Appendix D. However, if an endangered or threatened species is identified or its critical habitat, conservation measures will be implemented for the protection of the species.

The proposed actions do not have adverse effect on historical properties due to:

• The proposed action related to the singing and markers reconstruction activities would not affect any archeological remains or historic property because the area where the projects are located were previously altered for the construction of the road and per PRHTA’s specifications in the construction plan, the final location of signs is determined by the Engineer in the field in order to avoid impacts to utilities, drainage pipes, culverts, and other structures. Therefore, the singing reconstruction activities comply with Appendix A, Section II, Subsection (6 and 7) of the

Programmatic Agreement (PA) among FHWA, PRHTA, SHPO and ACHP and do not require SHPO consultation. Copy of this agreement is included in Appendix E. For signs to be installed within or adjacent to road segments not listed or eligible in the National Register of Historic Places, according to SHPO letter of December 1, 2020, a PA Certification will be filed to document it per

Programmatic Agreement. See copy of the SHPO letter of December 1, 2020, for road list on

Appendix E. For signs to be installed in segments of roads within or adjacent to the known Roads

Listed or Eligible to NRHP, an Archeological Monitoring Plan will be implemented during construction, according to the Archeological Supervision Plan approved by SHPO on December

28, 2020. Copy of the Archeological Supervision Plan is included on Appendix E.

Emergency Relief Program - Signing and Guardrail Improvements Various Roadways in the Island

• Regarding to the guardrail removal and installation, PRHTA and FHWA presented to SHPO an approach based on the 2019 Programmatic Agreement (PA) among the FHWA, the SHPO, the

PRHTA and the Advisory Council on Historic Properties (ACHP) regarding the Federal-Aid Highway

Program in Puerto Rico and its amendments, to streamlined Section 106 process. According to the streamlined process, no review from SHPO will be required if:

o No historic properties are presented within the roadway prism in the undertaking segment. A determination of no effect to historic property is concluded.

o The historic properties within the roadway prism is far from the undertaking segment, no redesign and/or is required, therefore a determination of no effect to historic property is concluded.

o The only historic property presented is the road itself, no redesign is needed but an archeological supervision plan is required. A determination of no adverse effect to historic property is concluded.

o The presence of historic properties (culverts, bridges, or any other structure) are within the roadway prism and it could be affected due to the undertaking segment. A design efforts to avoid the adverse effect and/or the implementation of the Archeological

Supervision Plan will be performed to eliminate the adverse effect on the historical property.

For those undertaking segments that have an adverse effect on historic properties (culverts, bridges, or any other structure) that could not be resolved, a determination of adverse effect to historic property is concluded. Those undertaking segments will be required consultation with

SHPO, will not be part of this proposed works and will be realized in another project.

The determination that the signing and guardrails activities meets the criteria for exemption from SHPO review will be performed by qualified professional according to the Secretary of the Interior’s (SOI)

Professional Qualification Standards published in #36 CFR Part 61. A PA certification will be issued to document it and will be filed in the project record. If unexpected cultural resources are encountered at any time within the project area, work should cease in the immediate vicinity of such discoveries and

SHPO would be notified.

Erosion and Sediment Control measures and BMP’s would be implemented during construction activities to prevent the discharge of pollutants into water bodies. In addition, we will request the contractor to comply with all applicable regulations.

Based on section 771.117 (c)(9) of the electronic Code of Federal Regulations (23 eCFR) of August 10, 2021, these emergency works are classified as a Class II Action (Categorical Exclusion). Therefore, neither an Environmental Impact Statement nor an Environmental Evaluation is required.

Emergency Relief Program - Signing and Guardrail Improvements Various Roadways in the Island

Enclosed is a Categorical Exclusion Checklist for these projects.

Cordially yours, Ana L. Torres Santana

Deputy Executive Director

Enclosures

Concurred by:

Federal Highway Administration Date

Table 2: List of municipal roadways in AC-827578

MUNICIPAL ROADWAY NAME MUNICIPALITY

AVENIDA APOLO S. J. / GUAYNABO

AVENIDA CAMPO RICO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA CAMPO RICO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA PUERTO NUEVO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA ANDALUCÍA SAN JUAN

CALLE AGUADA SAN JUAN

CALLE MAYAGÜEZ SAN JUAN

CALLE MAYAGÜEZ SAN JUAN

CALLE CRISTO SAN JUAN

CALLE GLASSG, BELLIS, VERBENA SAN JUAN

AVENIDA A. PAZ GRANELA SAN JUAN

AVENIDA PARK GARDENS SAN JUAN

AVENIDA PARK GARDENS SAN JUAN

CALLE ANTONIO L. LUCIANO SAN JUAN

CALLE LÓPEZ SICARDO SAN JUAN

CALLE LÓPEZ SICARDÓ SAN JUAN

CALLE SICILIA SAN JUAN

CALLE SOUFRONTT SAN JUAN

AVENIDA COLL Y TOSTE SAN JUAN

AVENIDA COLL Y TOSTE SAN JUAN

CALLE COLL Y TOSTE SAN JUAN

AVENIDA HOSTOS SAN JUAN

AVENIDA EDUARDO CONDE SAN JUAN

CALLE TAPIA SAN JUAN

CALLE TAPIA SAN JUAN

CALLE TAPIA SAN JUAN

CALLE FIDALGO DÍAZ SAN JUAN

CALLE SAN JORGE SAN JUAN

CALLE SAN JORGE SAN JUAN

CALLE PARQUE SAN JUAN

CALLE RECINTO SUR SAN JUAN

CALLE FORTALEZA SAN JUAN

CALLE B. DEL VALLE / NORZAGARAY SAN JUAN

CALLE SIMÓN MADERA SAN JUAN

CALLE SIMÓN MADERA SAN JUAN

CALLE JULIO ANDINO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA UNIVERSIDAD SAN JUAN

AVENIDA UNIVERSIDAD SAN JUAN

AVENIDA CHARDÓN SAN JUAN

AVENIDA CHARDÓN SAN JUAN

CALLE BOLIVIA SAN JUAN

AVENIDA ASHFORD SAN JUAN

AVENIDA ASHFORD SAN JUAN

AVENIDA ASHFORD SAN JUAN

CALLE MC LEARY SAN JUAN

CALLE MC LEARY Y SOL. SERRANO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA CÉSAR GONZÁLEZ SAN JUAN

AVENIDA CÉSAR GONZÁLEZ SAN JUAN

AVENIDA DOMENECH SAN JUAN

AVENIDA DOMENECH SAN JUAN

AVENIDA ITURREGUI SAN JUAN

AVENIDA SAN PATRICIO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA SAN PATRICIO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA DE DIEGO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA DE DIEGO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA DE DIEGO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA DE DIEGO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA DE DIEGO SAN JUAN

AVENIDA MAGDALENA SAN JUAN

AVENIDA GÁNDARA SAN JUAN

AVENIDA W. CHURCHILL SAN JUAN

CALLE PARANÁ SAN JUAN

CALLE PARANÁ SAN JUAN

CALLE GUAYAMA SAN JUAN

CALLE KALAF SAN JUAN

CALLE KALAF SAN JUAN

CALLE KALAF SAN JUAN

CALLE HAYDEE REXACH SAN JUAN

CALLE SAN ALFONSO (ALTAMESA) SAN JUAN

CALLE 16 (LAS LOMAS) SAN JUAN

CALLE TANCA SAN JUAN

AVENIDA CONDADO SAN JUAN

CALLE CUPEY GDENS Y JAZMÍN SAN JUAN

AVENIDA CIUDAD DE SAN GERMÁN SAN JUAN

AVENIDA CIUDAD DE SAN GERMÁN SAN JUAN

AVENIDA AMÉRICO MIRANDA SAN JUAN

AVENIDA AMÉRICO MIRANDA SAN JUAN

CALLE NOTRE DAME SAN JUAN

CALLE RAMÓN B. LÓPEZ SAN JUAN

CALLE GALLEGO / VOLTA SAN JUAN

EXT. CALLE CÉSAR GONZÁLEZ SAN JUAN

ACCESO A PR 22 SAN JUAN

CALLE 32 SAN JUAN

CALLE GUTTEMBERG SAN JUAN

CALLE DE DIEGO / ACUARIO SAN JUAN

CALLE LUISA SAN JUAN

CALLE ROBLES SAN JUAN

CALLE SOTO SAN JUAN

CALLE 2 SAN JUAN

CALLE DE LA TORRE SAN JUAN

CALLE 3 SAN JUAN

CALLE FERROCARRIL SAN JUAN