Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Replacement of Bridge 025-5016-0, CR 122/Humpback Road over Little Satilla River, Brantley County, Georgia

Edwards-Pitman, Inc. (EP), under a contract with NV5, completed a Phase I archaeological survey for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) proposed project to replace the existing bridge on County Road (CR) 122/1-lumpback Road over the Little Satilla River, in Brantley County, Georgia (GDOT P. I. No. 0015660; HP No. 190531-007). The survey sought to identify archaeological sites in compliance with Section I 06 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Fieldwork was completed in June and August of 2019.

The bridge on CR 122/Humpback Road over the Little Satilla River, Structure ID 025-5016-0, was built in 1970. Due to the age of bridge, not meeting current design standards, and the bridge being classified as scour critical, replacement of this bridge is recommended. The proposed 48.8 meter (m)(l60 feet[ft]) length bridge will be designed for two 3.4 m (11 ft) lanes and 0.61 m (2 ft) shoulders. The bridge approaches will consist of one 3 m (10 ft) lane and 1.5 m (5 ft) rural shoulders in each direction. Paving of the approaches will be minimal and only what is necessary to tie into the existing gravel road because the road is not currently scheduled for repaving. Humpback Road has been closed since 2011, therefore the bridge will be constructed on the existing alignment and no detour will be needed.

The survey area for the proposed project includes all areas within an Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB) provided by NV5 to EP. The ESB measures approximately 478 m (1 ,568.3 ft) along CR 122/Humpback Road from northeast to southwest over the Little Satilla River and is about 122 m (400.3 ft) at its widest extent. The ESB encompasses a total area of5.83 hectares (ha) (14.4 acres [ ac]).

Prior to the start of fieldwork, EP archaeologists undertook a review of files housed at the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF), at the University of Georgia (UGA), and of Georgia's Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (NAHRGIS) online database in order to identify previously completed archaeological surveys and previously recorded sites identified within l kilometer (km) (0.62 miles [mi]) of the ESB. No surveys have been previously conducted within that area, nor have any sites been identified.

One previously unrecorded archaeological site, 9BT25, was identified during this survey. This site is interpreted as remnants of the previous bridge at the SR 22/1-lumpback Road crossing of the Little Satilla River. A review of historic maps and aerial photographs indicate the previous bridge was built between 1918 and 1940 and was replaced by the existing bridge in 1970, when the former bridge deck was presumably removed and a number of the wooden support piers were cut. The bridge pilings were delineated via close interval shovel testing with no recovery.