A roadway has wide-ranging effects in addition to providing traffic service to users. It is essential that the highway be considered as an element of the total environment.

The roadway can and should be located and designed to complement its environment and serve as a catalyst to environmental improvement.

The area surrounding a proposed road or street is an interrelated system of natural synthetic, and sociologic variables. Changes in one variable within this system cannot be made without some effect on other variables. Because roadway location and design decisions affect the development of adjacent areas, it is important the environmental variables be given full consideration. Also, care should be exercised so that applicable local, State, and Federal environmental requirements are met.

It is essential that environmental considerations and constraints are identified early in the process through the development of the environmental work plan. The work plan will outline the necessary investigations to determine potential impacts to assist in avoidance, minimization, or mitigation of those impacts.