Archaeological Reassessment of Project EDS-441(36)(37), Coffee and Telfair Counties

The proposed project would widen and reconstruct US 441 from a point just north of the Mill Creek Bridge at SR 107, in Coffee County, to the south McRae Bypass, in Telfair County. Major changes include the proposed realignment of several county roads with US 441. Additional required right-of-way at these intersections would vary from approximately 110 to 150 feet. The APE for the current reassessment was restricted to the affected intersections and county roads. An archaeological survey consistent with the proposed changes was conducted throughout the project corridor. Total length of the US 441 improvements is approximately 18.8 miles, which was originally surveyed by Southeastern Archaeological Services. The results of that survey identified one eligible archaeological resource, the Lowe site (9TF139), within the APE, for which an Assessment of Effects will be submitted in the near future. An archaeological survey (Level II) was conducted in accordance with "GDOT/FHWA Cultural Resource Survey Guidelines" developed by the GDOT Staff Archaeologists in consultation with DNR Historic Preservation Division Staff and concurred in by the Federal Highway Administration and State Historic Preservation Officer. These guidelines provide general survey boundaries and methodological approaches to archaeological surveys based on the type/scope of work of proposed highway projects and are followed during the initial identification of archaeological resources. No existing or eligible National Register resources were located within the reassessment portion of the projects' area of potential environmental effect. It is concluded, therefore, that the project will have no effect upon archaeological resources on or eligible for inclusion in the NRHP provided that the project reassessment conforms to that described above.