SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected EnvironmentThe amount of use of down-range roadways fluctuates due to the nature of the maneuver training andvariations of training mission requirements. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the volume oftraffic on any given section of road downrange with accuracy.Peak commuting periods on Army installations differ from traditional morning, afternoon, and eveningpeaks on off-post roadway systems. At FTC, inbound peaks occur prior to morning physicaltraining (usually before 6:00 a.m.), during morning off-post commuter times for the on-post civilianworkforce, mid-morning as the Soldiers return to the installation for the day, and prior to the lunchhour. Outbound peaks generally occur in the morning after physical training, around the lunch hour,and again at the end of the day prior to evening off-post commuter peak periods.3.3.6.2 Piñon Canyon Maneuver SiteU.S. 350 provides access to PCMS, which is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Trinidad. I–25 is a four-lane, designated truck route that connects FTC and Trinidad. Deployments from FTC followa fixed route along I–25 approximately 117 miles south to U.S. 160, along U.S. 160 approximately7 miles northeast to U.S. 350, and along U.S. 350 approximately 24 miles northeast to themain gate at the PCMS cantonment area.The roadway network at the PCMS is divided into three categories: cantonment area roads, MSRs,and secondary roads in the training areas. Each roadway category serves a specific function in movingpeople and freight at the PCMS Cantonment area. Roads serve the movement of people andfreight within the cantonment area and funnel them onto the MSRs. The cantonment area roads directlyconnect the off-post deployment route and the MSRs. The MSRs serve the movement of Soldiers’equipment and supplies over extended distances throughout the PCMS. Secondary roads provideaccess from the MSRs to adjacent training areas and move vehicle traffic through the training areas(DPW 2006).With the exception of 1 mile of paved road in the cantonment area, the roadway network at the PCMSconsists almost entirely of unpaved roads. There are approximately 107 miles of MSRs and 490 milesof secondary roads on the PCMS (DPW 2006).Traffic volumes on I–25 vary from a high of 72,200 average daily traffic (ADT) through downtownPueblo to a low of 8,300 ADT near Walsenburg, which is west of PCMS. Volumes on I–25 betweenFTC and Pueblo range from 28,100 ADT to 44,300 ADT near SH 16. According to the CDOT, thereis sufficient excess roadway capacity along the majority of this segment of I–25. However, throughPueblo and in the immediate proximity of Fort Carson at SH 16, I–25 is near capacity (CDOT 2006a)and SH 16 is currently operating at LOS E (over capacity).U.S. 160 is a two-lane, designated truck route between I–25 and U.S. 350. U.S. 350 is a two-lane,designated truck route between U.S. 160 and the main gate at the PCMS Cantonment area. Accordingto CDOT, there is excess roadway capacity because of minimal traffic volumes on both U.S. 160 andU.S. 350 (CDOT 2006b and 2006c).The full-time staff at the PCMS is limited to fewer than 15 civilian maintenance and administrativestaff (DPW 2006). No troops are stationed at the PCMS; therefore, traffic to the installation is primarilygenerated by training deployments from Fort Carson.Military convoy traffic between FTC and the PCMS is generally limited to wheeled vehicles. Trackedvehicles are transported to and from the PCMS by rail. Special circumstances could require themovement of a limited number of tracked or other vehicles that cannot travel on public roads or byFebruary 2008 3–160 2/25th SBCT Final EIS