MN DOT Issues Impact Statement On Hwy 371 Bypass

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has prepared a Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Highway 371 improvement project in Cass and Crow Wing counties.

The Highway 371 project corridor extends approximately 16 miles from the intersection of Crow Wing County Highway 18 in Nisswa to the intersection of Cass County Road 2/42 in Pine River. This segment of the roadway was the subject of an Environmental Impact Statement process that was concluded in 2005.

This statement was prepared to address recent changes to the preferred alternative, based on a request from the city of Pequot Lakes to change from a through-city design (2005 preferred alternative), to a bypass.

This statement focuses the impacts in the areas affected by the design change to a bypass of Pequot Lakes.

The statement also includes a reevaluation of the entire project corridor to document other minor changes that have occurred since the original Record of Decision was signed in 2005.

Copies of the Highway 371 statement are being distributed to those agencies on the current document review list made available by the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board. The comment period will begin on July 26th, and will extend through August 9th.

Written comments on the adequacy of the statement should be submitted to James Hallgren, Mn/DOT project manager, Minnesota Department of Transportation – District 3, 7694 Industrial Park Road, Baxter, MN 56425.
 
Copies of the statement are available at area libraries and city halls.