Phase I Archaeological Survey and Phase II Testing of U.S. 17/SR 25 from Yacht Road to SR 99

Pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (as amended), the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) funded a Phase I Archaeological Survey and Phase II Archaeological Testing investigation of an 6.3-mile-long section of U.S. 17/State Road (SR) 25 in Glynn County to determine if any significant archaeological sites would be impacted by the proposed road construction and bridge replacement activities, as well as to evaluate the eligibility of the identified sites for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). GDOT contracted New South Associates, Inc. to perform this work under Task Order #2 of Statewide Cultural Resources Survey Master Contract #TOOCRSUR130470.

U.S. 17/SR 25 is a major north-south route in Glynn County, connecting the City of Brunswick to the county’s major thoroughfares, including the Torras Causeway onto St. Simons Island, Interstate 95, SR 25 Spur, and SR 99. U.S. 17/SR 25 is listed as a designated Hurricane Evacuation Route. The purpose of the project is to improve traffic operations and reduce vehicle crash occurrences and severity. Project STP00-0009-02(092), PI 532650 was originally programmed with project limits extending from Yacht Road to Harry Driggers Boulevard and shared common termini with Project NHS00-0001-00(039), PI 0001039 at Harry Driggers Boulevard. Since Project STP00-0009-02(092) and NHS00-0001-00(039) do not have logical termini as independent projects, the limits of STP00-0009-02(092) have been extended from Harry Driggers Boulevard to SR99. Project BHF00-0009-02(091), PI #532655, Glynn County, Thornhill Creek Bridge Replacement, is to be deleted from the program and incorporated into PI #532650 as a bridge widening over Thornhill Creek.

The project corridor including the area of potential effects (APE) and a 100-foot (32.8-m) buffer referred to as the Expanded Survey Corridor (ESC) consists of a 33,333-foot long (6.3 mi.; 10,160 m) section along U.S. 17/SR 25 from approximately 460 feet (140 m) south of Yacht Road north to approximately 1,145 feet (349 m) north of SR 99 (this includes the area within the ESC). The project corridor, which has a width of 495 feet (151 m), includes areas extending from U.S. 17/SR 25 along the following side streets (listed in order from south to north, with distances measured from the U.S. 17/SR 25 centerline to the edge of the ESC): Deerfield Drive (502 ft.; 153 m); Meadows Way (519 ft.; 158 m); Glynco Parkway (661 ft.; 202 m); MacKay Drive (537 ft.; 164 m); Harry Driggers Boulevard (505 ft.; 154 m); and SR 99 (1,261 ft.; 384 m). Thus, the total length of the survey measures 37,319 feet (7.1 mi.; 11.38 km). For the main U.S. 17/SR 25 section (not the side streets), the APE varied in width from the existing centerline from approximately 89 feet (27 m) to 134 feet (41 m).

This survey resulted in the relocation of one previously recorded archaeological site (9GN87), the discovery of 28 previously unrecorded archaeological sites (9GN411-9GN438), and seven isolated finds. Of the sites, six are recommended eligible for listing on the NRHP (9GN411, 9GN412, 9GN413, 9GN414, 9GN415, and 9GN434), 20 are of an unknown National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) status because their boundaries extend outside of the ESC and/or they required further evaluation (9GN87, 9GN416, 9GN417, 9GN418, 9GN419, 9GN420, 9GN422, 9GN423, 9GN425, 9GN426, 9GN427, 9GN429, 9GN430, 9GN431, 9GN432, 9GN433, 9GN435, 9GN436, 9GN437, and 9GN438), and three sites (9GN421, 9GN424, and 9GN428) are recommended as not eligible for the NRHP. In consultation with GDOT, eight sites were subjected to Phase II testing (9GN412-9GN415, 9GN423, 9GN428, 9GN433, and 9GN434), with a total of 31 1x1-meter test units excavated to evaluate these sites. Based on this investigation, the portions of sites 9GN413, 9GN414, 9GN415, and 9GN434 within the APE are eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A and D. While the portion of Site 9GN412 located within the APE lacks integrity, the portion within the ESC is recommended eligible under NRHP Criteria A and D. In addition, the NRHP eligibility of 9GN433 is unknown under Criteria A and D, pending further evaluation. All of the isolated finds are considered not eligible for the NRHP. If sites 9GN413, 9GN414, 9GN415, and 9GN434 cannot be avoided by this undertaking, they should be subjected to mitigation prior to their destruction; further, if the portion of 9GN412 within the ESC cannot be avoided, it should also be mitigated prior to its destruction.

The portions of sites 9GN430 and 9GN431, which are active modern cemeteries, within the APE are recommended as not eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A, B, and C, as determined through the history study for the corridor (White 2009a; 2014a). Because they are modern cemeteries and they were not examined archaeologically, they were not evaluated for Criterion D, and the NRHP eligibility is unknown. For site 9GN411, the Petersville Cemetery, no burial features were identified within the APE as this portion of the project corridor is entirely within the existing right of way, which consists of the graded roadside; however, burials are present within the ESC. These cemeteries should be avoided, if possible. If the undertaking will impact graves, then they will need to be relocated.