Numerous alternatives that were located to the east of the remaining alignments were developed and evaluated. These alternatives were eliminated for a number of reasons, including the inability to meet the Purpose and Need of the project. Some eastern alternatives were eliminated due to a higher number of farmland impacts in comparison to other alternatives. The far eastern alternatives are less compatible with future land use plans and may encourage sprawl or other unintended negative land use consequences.
The proximity of the alternatives to existing and planned residential development was considered during the alternative evaluation process. As the EA process goes forward, both direct and indirect impacts of the ESH will be analyzed in detail. This analysis will include studying direct impacts such as acquisition of residences, and farmland conversion as well as potential impacts to land use, noise levels, air quality, community impacts, and water quality.