MEYERSDALE, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in partnership with the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), and in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE), are issuing a notice of availability for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), as well as, notice of a hearing to provide members of the public the opportunity to comment on the project for consideration in review of the Department of the Army’s (DA) 404 Permit Application, MDE’s Nontidal Wetlands Waterways Permit Application (24-NT-3200), and the MDE 401Water Quality Certification request (24-WQC-0043) for this project.
The 45-day comment period on these documents began Nov. 8 and extends through Jan. 11. The purpose of the public hearings is to 1) provide interested individuals, community associations, citizen groups, and government agencies an opportunity to offer spoken or written comments on the DEIS, and 2) allow the USACE to receive comments on the DA’s Section 404 Permit Application and allow MDE to receive comments on the Nontidal Wetlands and Waterways Permit Application and the 401 Water Quality Certification request for this project.
The project team is proposing a new 8-mile long, four-lane, limited access facility for US 219 from the end of the Meyersdale Bypass in Pennsylvania to the newly constructed portion of US 219 in Maryland, which opened in May 2021. Of the eight (8) miles, six (6) are in Pennsylvania and two (2) are in Maryland.
Pennsylvania Public Hearing
Purpose: This hearing is intended for the public and interested persons/stakeholders to provide formal testimony and/or comment on the DEIS and the DA’s 404 Permit Application (Permit # 2014-523).
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 11
Time: 4–8 p.m.
- Open House Plans Display: 4–5 p.m.
- Formal Public Hearing: 5–8 p.m.
Location: Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department Station 618 Fire Hall
385 Ord Street
Salisbury, PA 15558
Link: To participate in the hearing online, log in after 4:45 p.m. at https://bit.ly/US219-PA-Hearing-Dec11. The hearing begins promptly at 5 p.m.
Maryland Public Hearing
Purpose: This hearing is intended for the public and interested persons/stakeholders to provide formal testimony and/or comment on the DEIS, the DA’s 404 Permit Application (Permit # 2014-523), the MDE’s Nontidal Wetlands and Waterways Permit Application, and the 401 Water Quality Certification request for this project.
Date: Thursday, Dec. 12
Time: 4–8 p.m.
- Open House Plans Display: 4–5 p.m.
- Formal Public Hearing: 5–8 p.m.
Location: Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department’s Social Hall
178 Springs Road
Grantsville, MD 21536
Link: To participate in the hearing online, log in after 4:45 p.m. at https://bit.ly/US219-MD-Hearing-Dec12. The hearing begins promptly at 5 p.m.
An open house plans display is scheduled for 4-5 p.m. prior to each of the Hearings. The public can ask questions during this time; however, those informal questions will not be part of the public record.
The formal public hearings will begin at 5 p.m. with a formal presentation and testimony by PennDOT and/or SHA. The MDE (Dec. 12 hearing only) and the USACE will only be accepting testimony on the waterway permit applications. The public will have an opportunity to provide public and private testimony to a court reporter and/or written testimony after the presentation. There will be no response to comments by PennDOT, SHA, MDE or the USACE given during the formal testimony portion of the hearing.
Registration slips for both in-person private and public testimony will be available at the registration table on the day of the event. Public virtual testimony will be accepted following the live formal presentation. To provide virtual testimony, register in advance no later than Monday, Nov. 9, by 5 p.m. by contacting: Brionna Marks, KCI Technologies, Phone: 717-668-0413, Email: Brionna.Marks@kci.com.
There are three options for providing written testimony, which include:
- Filling out a written testimony form at one of the Public Hearings.
- Mailing in testimony using one of the self-addressed envelopes at the hearing registration table at either of the Public Hearings.
- Sending an email to Brionna Marks, KCI Technologies to the email above.
A Public Hearing Brochure is posted on the project website and at the local public viewing locations listed below. The brochure provides an overview of the project, including a summary of information in the DEIS and instructions on how to provide testimony.
The DEIS is available for review at the following locations:
Meyersdale Public Library
210 Center Street
Meyersdale, PA 15552
Phone: 814-634-0512
Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County – Grantsville Branch
102 Parkview Drive
Grantsville, MD 21536
Phone: 301-895-5298
Mary S. Biesecker Public Library
230 South Rosina Avenue
Somerset, PA 15501
Phone: 814-445-4011
PennDOT District 9-0
1620 North Juniata Street
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
Phone: 814-696-7250
Somerset County Library
6022 Glades Pike, Ste. 120
Somerset, PA 15501
Phone: 814-445-2556
FHWA – Pennsylvania Division
30 North Third Street, Suite 700
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone: 717-221-3461
Allegany County Library System – Frostburg
65 East Main Street
Frostburg, MD 21532
Phone: 301-687-0790
FHWA – Maryland Division
George H. Fallon Federal Building
Federal Highway Administration
31 Hopkins Plaza, Suite 1520
Phone: 410-962-4440
MD SHA – District 6
1251 Vocke Road
LaVale MD 21502
Phone: 301-729-8400
The DEIS and Public Hearing Brochure is also available on the project website at www.penndot.pa.gov/US219meyersdalesouth.
