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<br />h ~ l ~U !J. FE: [:4: 14 ?11 <br /> <br />T, "", , ~, <br />r. uu: <br /> <br />." <br /> <br />i <br />I. <br />i <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Proposal to Analyze the Highway Needs of a Proposed Ethanol <br />Processing Plant at Spiritwood, North Dakota <br /> <br />Objectives. The proposed plant would draw com from a large surrounding area in North <br />Dakota, thus creating.~ highway demands on state and county highways. The <br />objectives of1his proje~t are to: (1) predict com flows from fBIms to the plant, (2) assign. <br />the flows to the highway network, (3) estimate the annual truck 'trips and ESALs on each <br />highway segment, and (4) estima.te the highway improvement needs for :individual routes <br />. and segtD.ents. . <br /> <br />1. Develop a GIS Crop Database (UGPTl). A detailed GIS crop layer will be <br />developed at a fine level of resolution within the p:r.imary crop producing region. <br />The database will be developed from NASS satellite images of crop caverage ai:td <br />county production statistics. The land database will consist of many crop <br />production zones (e.g. 50 to 70 per county) within the primaty region that <br />includes and SUttOWlds Stutsmap. and .Bames Counties. Thi~ deWled land-use <br />model will be merged with an ~ model developed for the 2006 legislative <br />study, to include the rlilJljulln11:lg counties of the state outside of the primary <br />production region. Using this laIld-use model, detailed estimates will be gen.era:ted <br />. of each of the crops produced iri each zone, as: well as crop production esthriates <br />for zones outside 'of the prlmmy draw area.. <br />1. Synthesize Forecasts of CDra Productlon (UGPTl). The crop - database <br />developed in Task 1 will reflect recent crop pattetIIS and produ.eti.on levels. <br />However, crop pa.ttems and'production.leve1s are likely to change as a result of <br />the plant. More com will be needed in the primary multi-county production region <br />surrouDt1;T1g the plant. In this task, UGPTI ~ consult with the facility planners, <br />agricultural ~tcmsion agents, and other knowledgeable persons to develop <br />projections of how crop pattmns and production levels might e1umge within the <br />primary :market region. Using the .GIS crop database and these.forecasts, UGPTI <br />will project the likely .crop coverage and production. levels within each of the <br />sma]1...area ZOIlCS fur expected plant output levels. . <br />3. Develop a Detailed. GIS Network of State and County Highways (UGPTI). A <br />detailed GIS layer will be created of the highway netwo.tk. in the primary <br />production region. The state highway ~etwork from the .2006 legislative study <br />(wbiQb. is based on the NDDOl' base map) will be updated. In a.r:ktitiOI4 some <br />detailed work will be required to adequately represent the county highway <br />network in the level of detail needed for this study. Existing data on roadway <br />type, conditiOn, existing traffic levels, and existing percent trucks will be <br />collected from all of the counties in the prima.ry production region (Tasks 4-6). <br />However. this data collection effort is unlikely.to produce all of the baseline <br />information needed at the specific roadway segment level. Therefore, a <br />comprehensive traffic model will be devell;)ped to estimate existing truck trips for <br />individual-highway segments in the area. This step (which is descn"bed in Task 4), <br />