Background - State Highway 87 between Sabine Pass
and High Island, locally known as "the beach road," has existed
as a transportation route for more than a century. As far back as 1863,
a Civil War map showed a "Road to Galveston" along the shoreline
southwest of Sabine Pass. Since then, the road has been damaged by storms
and repaired many times.
Hurricane Jerry damaged the road in October 1989 at which
time the road was closed indefinitely. Currently, large portions of
the roadway are damaged and sections of the former right-of-way are
within the tidal zone.
In 1990, the Texas Department of Transportation began
planning for the reconstruction of SH 87 and requested that Jefferson
County acquire the necessary Section 404 permit. Several public meetings
and agency meetings were conducted during 1991 and 1992 to identify
issues and concerns for the project. In 1997, a Draft Environmental
Assessment (EA) was prepared and a Section 404 permit application was
submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. During the Section 404
review process, it was suggested that an EA was not adequate to address
the impacts associated with the project and an Environmental Impact
Statement should be prepared. The Draft EA and Section 404 permit application
were withdrawn and funding was sought for the preparation of an Environmental
Impact Statement.
Enacted in 1998, the Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century earmarked federal funding to complete the environmental
documentation for reconstruction of SH 87, from Sabine Pass to the Bolivar
Peninsula. On August 18, 1999, a Notice of Intent was issued by the
Federal Highway Administration announcing the preparation of an Environmental
Impact Statement for the SH 87 project. On September 23, 1999, a public
meeting was held as part of the public involvement process for the environmental
study.
Environmental Impact Statement - The National Environmental
Policy Act requires that an Environmental Impact Statement be prepared
when potential impacts from a proposed federal action are determined
to be significant. The Environmental Impact Statement for the SH 87
project will examine alternatives to the proposed action and evaluate
the environmental effects of the project alternatives. Once a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement is completed, a public hearing will be
held and a Final Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared.
Project Purpose and Objectives - The purpose of
the proposed project is to construct a roadway that replaces the transportation
link between Sabine Pass and High Island that was lost when SH 87 was
closed, and to improve access to the Sabine Pass area. The project objectives
are:
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Improve general transportation in the study area |
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Increase nature tourism development |
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Improve recreational access to beaches and other public
lands |
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Improve emergency response and public safety |
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Improve access to petroleum/gas production facilities
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