Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed SR 85 Bridge Replacement over CS 11 / Lane Street in Meriwether County, Georgia

The proposed project would consist of the replacement of GDOT Bridge 199-0032-0 on State Route (SR) 85 / Broad Street over Lane Street in the City of Manchester in Meriwether County, Georgia (Figure 1). The existing typical section of SR 85 / Broad Street consists of two 12-foot travel lanes, one in each direction, and sidewalk on both sides of the roadway. Existing ROW ranges between 150 and 200 feet. The existing bridge consists of three spans of steel beams on concrete caps and concrete columns.

Currently, the beams are 21-inch steel beams. The bridge roadway curb-to-curb clear width is 29.9 feet with 5-foot sidewalks on both sides of the bridge. The total length of the bridge is 138 feet. The existing bridge was built in 1941. The bridge was designed using an H-15 vehicle which is below current standards. The sufficiency rating of the bridge is 46.90 out of 100, and the Office of Bridge Maintenance has determined that any bridge with a sufficiency rating under 50 should be replaced. Due to the structural integrity of the bridge, replacement is recommended. Proposed is a new 138-foot long by 41-foot, 6-inch wide concrete bridge over Lane Street that will be reconstructed at the current location, elevation, and roadway centerline. An off-site detour along existing roads will be utilized. It is expected that the proposed replacement bridge will be constructed within existing right-of-way (ROW), although some additional ROW may be required as the details of the project become clearer. Project plans are still in development.

An environmental survey area layout was provided to the GDOT Office of Environmental Services (OES) that incorporates all possible design alternatives for the project within its boundaries (Figure 2). The environmental survey boundary spans 200 feet in width and 1,650 feet in length along SR 85 / Broad Street starting at the northern edge of the SR 85 bridge over the CSX railroad and continuing north to SR 85 Spur / Foster Street (Figure 2). The environmental survey boundary also includes a 200-foot by 100-foot area along Lane Street, west of SR 85 / Broad Street and a 420-foot by 100-foot area along Truitt Street, east of SR 85 / Broad Street.