Phase I Archaeological Survey for Proposed Signal Upgrades at Twelve Locations along I-75, SR 42 Spur, SR 54, and CS 3279

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) plans to make improvements to ten intersections along Interstate (I-)75, State Route (SR) 43 Spur, SR 54 (McDonough Boulevard), and CS 3279 in Fulton County, Georgia under GDOT P.I. No. 0013212. New South Associates, Inc. (New South) conducted a Phase I Archaeological Survey of the planned undertaking pursuant to the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, in preparation for construction related to the proposed signal upgrades. All work adheres to the Improvements to Existing Signalized Intersections Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), GDOT, and Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer (GA SHPO) (GDOT 2018). The proposed undertaking originally included improvements at 12 locations, but due to overlapping Project PI 0011684, two locations, SR 42 Spur at Lakewood Avenue and SR 42 Spur at Milton Avenue (Intersections 7 and 8), were removed from the project.

Several of the intersections are located within Study and Core Areas established by the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) Civil War Sites Advisory Commission (CWAC). Field methods for this survey included systematic shovel testing, pedestrian survey, and metal detection for Study and Core Areas. As a result of the survey, one historic archaeological site was identified (9FU791). Metal detector survey was conducted on the historic site, which yielded modern materials in association with late historic period artifacts. Due to inability to fully delineate the site’s boundaries, 9FU791 is considered unknown for the NRHP. However, the portion of the site within the APE lacks significant data potential.