Phase I Archaeological Resource Survey of the Proposed Roundabout at SR 88/ Patterson Road and CR 58/ Bath Edie Road, Richmond County, Georgia

From December 3 to 7, 2018 and September IO, 2019, HNTB completed a Phase I archaeological resources survey for proposed improvements to the intersection of State Route (SR) 88/Patterson Road and County Road (CR) 58/Bath Edie Road in Richmond County, Georgia. This survey was conducted for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), PI umber 0009916, to assist GDOT in complying with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

The proposed roundabout configuration would consist of a 140-ft inscribed circle diameter with a 20-ft single circulatory roadway width. This results in a 100-ft diameter central island including a 15-ft-wide traversable truck apron to accommodate truck turning movements. Curb and gutter would be provided along the outside of the roundabout and along the inside of the truck apron. The road approaches would consist of 12-ft-wide travel lanes and 10-ft-wide outside shoulders, of which four feet is paved, with an open drainage ditch. As the roadway approaches the roundabout, the typical section would transition to a divided roadway with variable width travel lanes and curb and gutter on the outside. The splitter island would be utilized to separate entering and exiting traffic streams and assist in channelizing the vehicles through the roundabout. Construction of the proposed roundabout at SR 88/Patterson Road and CR 58/Bath Edie Road would improve the operational efficiency and safety performance of this intersection by removing the two-way stop condition and replacing it with a yield condition. Proposed (ROW) would vary between 60 and 100 ft with temporary and permanent easements anticipated.

For this project, the archaeological survey area included all areas within an Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB). The ESB is anticipated to encompass all possible/foreseeable ground disturbance activities and was generated by the project Designer in July 2018. In accordance with Section 106 of the HP A, the area of potential effects (APE) is the geographic area or areas within which an undertaking may directly or indirectly cause alterations in the character or use of historic properties, if any such properties exist (36 CFR 800. l6[d]). When design is complete, the project APE will likely be smaller than the ESB that is shown and evaluated herein. The width of the ESB is approximately 400 ft (125 meters [m]). The length of the ESB along SR 88/Patterson Road begins approximately 115 ft (35 m) east of its intersection with Boulineau Road and extends eastward for approximately 2,440 ft (744 m), tern1inating approximately 465 ft (142 m) west of its intersection with Patterson Bridge Road. The ESB along CR 58/Bath Edie Road begins approximately at its intersection with Melba Drive and extends northward approximately 1,630 ft ( 497 m). The ESB comprises approximately 35 acres. Subsequently, in July 2019 the ESB was revised extending the portion along CR 58/Bath Edie Road due to the addition o fa driveway easement to approximately 1,788 ft (545 m). The revised ESB comprises approximately 36. 7 acres.

One archaeological site was recorded. Site 9RI 1193 consists of the remnants of an early twentieth century house site and is recommended not eligible for listing to the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D. No features were encountered, and the majority of artifacts were recovered from a disturbed context.