Environmental Assessment for Construction and Operation of new Entry Gate and Road (Gate 2 ½) on Fort Gordon, Richmond County, Georgia

The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to identify and assess the potential environmental impacts resulting from the construction and operation of a new entry gate and access road from Gordon Highway (Highway 278/78) onto Fort Gordon Georgia. This assessment was conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations, Army Regulation 200-2, and various applicable environmental laws, regulations and executive orders (Appendix A).

Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) is currently planning the widening of Gordon Highway (278/78) and lowering the road surface to allow better visibility and larger traffic volume on portions of the Highway. This action, lowering the roadway, will require modification to the entryway at Gate 2 on Fort Gordon. Due to the location of the German and Italian cemeteries adjacent to Gate 2 excavation in this area is not desirable. In 1997 Gate 3 leading from Gordon Highway onto Fort Gordon was closed predominately due to the loss of manpower available to operate the entry point. This resulted in a large amount of traffic congestion at the intersection of Robinson Avenue, coming out of Grovetown, and Gordon Highway particularly in the morning hours around 7:30 am when the duty day begins for most Fort Gordon employees. The traffic congestion is so great that a Richmond County police officer is stationed at the intersection weekday mornings to direct traffic. Fort Gordon proposed building a new gate and access road located across from where Robinson Avenue, (Highway 223) currently ends. This, with the addition of a traffic light at the new intersection, will alleviate the need for a police officer to direct traffic during the morning rush hours and provide a more direct flow of traffic onto the installation from the Western and Northern directions and better accommodate increased traffic flow in the future. Also, the number of accidents that occur near the Robinson Avenue intersection will be decreased. Approximately 4200 vehicles enter and exit the installation daily using the current Gate 2. Most of this traffic comes from outlying areas to the West (Harlem, Thompson) and to the North (Grovetown, Evans, Appling).

Currently, there are three entry points onto the Fort Gordon Army Installation, Gate 1, The McKenna Gate, approximately 2 miles west of The Bobby Jones Expressway (HWY 520) on Gordon Highway, Gate 2 approximately 1.5 miles East of Robinson Avenue on Gordon Highway and Gate 5 located on Georgia Highway 1. At present the main access onto Fort Gordon for those employees commuting from the West and North is through Gate 2 located approximately 1.5 miles from the intersection of Gordon Highway and Robinson Avenue, Grovetown. Under the current proposal, DOT project number STP-004-3(35), Gate 2 will be permanently closed and a new Gate and access road will be constructed allowing Robinson Avenue (Hwy. 223) to cross Gordon Highway and continue onto Fort Gordon connecting to a main street on the Installation. Georgia Department of Transportation will be widening the section of Gordon Highway between Gates 1 & 3 and installing a traffic light at the intersection of Robinson Avenue (Hwy. 223) and the newly constructed Gate. The Gate will consist of a gate house for the security personnel and a new 4 lane reducing 3 to a lane road, approximately 36 feet wide, with 8 to 22 foot road shoulders, traveling across a wooded section of the Industrial cantonment and connecting to a main street on Fort Gordon. At the intersection of Robinson Ave and Gordon highway the new road will be four lanes onto the installation for approximately 170 feet. After that the road will reduce to three lanes for the remainder of the connector. The proposed Gate will replace the use of Gate 2 as the Western most access point to Fort Gordon.