Preliminary right-of-way needs have been identified. The proposed improvements will be refined in Final Design and the amount of right-of-way that is needed to carry out the project will be refined. However, the Commission is committed to minimizing the project's impacts on the environment and local communities, including right-of-way acquisition. The Commission's project team evaluated existing conditions and developed a variety of engineering alternatives to carry out the project. For each alternative, preliminary assessments were made to determine if additional highway right-of-way, including property acquisitions, would be needed. The project team used the information on the extent and cost of right-of-way acquisition as part of the screening process to select the project's Preferred Alternative as identified in the Environmental Assessment (EA). The Commission does not plan to start the process of acquiring additional property for the project until the EA and EA Addendum review and comment process is completed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Federal Highway Administration issues its NEPA decision.

Under the Preferred Alternative identified in the EA document released on December 9, 2009, the Commission will only need to acquire one home to carry out the project. Several other partial property acquisitions will be needed to carry out the project under the Preferred Alternative. The Commission will contact the affected homeowners directly as the first step in the acquisition process. It is a legal right of the Commission to acquire land for public purposes. Likewise, it is the right of private property owners to receive just compensation for their properties.

The Commission is committed to minimizing the project's impacts on the environment and local communities, including right-of-way acquisition.