Phase I Archaeological Resources Survey of SR 100 Bridge Replacement Over Clarks Creek, Chattooga County, Georgia

Project Number PI 0013821 is a part of the Georgia Department of Transportation's (GDOT) statewide bridge replacement effort and would replace the bridge located on State Route 100 (SR 1 00) over Clarks Creek in Chattooga County, Georgia. The bridge is located approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) southeast of the town of Lyerly (Figures 1 and 2). The existing bridge was constructed in 1942 and was assigned an overall sufficiency rating of 47.1 by GDOT during its March 2016 inspection. With a sufficiency rating below 50, the bridge is operating below current design standards and is posted as load limited. SR 100 is functionally classified as a rural major collector and is not a part of the National Network for Trucks. The existing typical section for SR 100 consists of two approximately 11-foot (3.3 meters) travel lanes with approximately one to two-foot (0.3/0.6 meter) to asphalt shoulders with a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour (mph). The existing concrete bridge structure is approximately 26 feet (7 .9 meter) wide (gutter to gutter) and approximately 104 feet (31 .7 meters) long, consisting of two approximately 11-foot (3.3 meters) travel lanes and two-foot (0 .6 meter) shoulders. It is built with three (3) spans of reinforced concrete deck girders on concrete caps and columns. The bridge would be replaced with a new bridge that meets current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) specifications with regard to lane width , shoulder width, live load capacity, and crash worthy railing system.

                For this particular bridge replacement project, the APE is defined as the existing right-of-way (ROW) along SR 100 including the existing bridge structure, as well as the proposed acquisition of additional ROW and any necessary easements. The existing ROW is 50 feet (15.2 meters) total. The proposed ROW is 80 feet (24 meters) total.

                A search of Georgia's Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources GIS (GNAHRGIS) revealed no previously recorded archaeological sites within the boundaries of the project survey area. In addition, no previously recorded archaeological sites were located within a 1 km radius of the project area. A search of GNAHRGIS revealed that no previous archaeological surveys have been conducted within the boundaries of the project survey area.