Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed ATMS and Streetscapes on Old National Highway, Fulton County, Georgia

On March 12 and 17, 2009, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed ATMS project and Streetscapes project on Old National Highway in Fulton County, Georgia. The ATMS survey area consists of 4.96 miles and would install a fiber optic communication backbone along Old National Highway from Jonesboro Road to Sullivan Road. The proposed Streetscapes project would provide transit-oriented pedestrian improvements, including new sidewalks, lighting improvements, and area landscaping, along both sides of Old National Highway from approximately 500 feet north of Flat Shoals Road to Sullivan Road for a total distance of 2.3 miles. The goal of the survey was to locate and evaluate archaeological sites within the Area of Potential Effect (APE) of the proposed undertaking, so that potential effects to archaeological resources could be evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The project was conducted for the Georgia Department of Transportation under a contract with ARCADIS U.S., Inc. A review of the Georgia Archaeological Site Files at the University of Georgia in Athens showed that no previously recorded archaeological sites are located in the project area. Three archaeological sites (9FU48, 9FU143, and 9FU550) are situated within a one kilometer (km) radius of the corridor. The proposed project would have no effect on these sites since they are outside the APE of the present undertaking. During the course of the current investigation, two archaeological sites, 9FU559 and 9FU560, were identified. Due to the limits of the defined APE, the extents of both 9FU559 and 9FU560 could not be determined; therefore the sites are recommended as of unknown eligibility for inclusion to the NRHP. However, the portions of these sites within the APE as currently defined do not contribute to their eligibility. Therefore, EPEI recommends clearance for construction for the project as currently designed.