Addendum Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Replacement of the US 41/SR 3 Bridge over Tiger Creek, Catoosa County, Georgia

During September 2011 and November 2012, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted addendum Phase I archaeological survey for the proposed replacement of the United States (US) 41/State Route (SR) 3 bridge over Tiger Creek (Georgia Department of Transportation [GDOT] Project No. BRST-001-6[047], P.I. No. 632885, HP No. 061026-003) in Catoosa County, Georgia. EPEI originally surveyed this project in 2006. The project was conducted for GDOT under a contract with Stantec. The original project description stated that the proposed bridge would be approximately 40 feet wide with two 12-foot travel lanes and two 10-foot shoulders along each side. The proposed project right-of-way (ROW) width would vary from 150 to 260 feet. During construction, traffic would be diverted to a temporary on-site detour. The proposed project length would be approximately 2,500 feet (.47 miles). Since the original survey, the design has been refined. These modifications, associated with easement, flood and drainage requirements, as well as consultations involving local property owners, are detailed in the current project description: The addendum project, which includes both 2011 and 2012 field surveys, would replace the existing US 41/SR 3 bridge over Tiger Creek with a new bridge located approximately 40 feet west, centerline to centerline, of the existing bridge location. The proposed project would begin approximately 1,025 feet south of Tiger Creek and would end approximately 1,075 feet north of Tiger Creek for a length of approximately 2,100 feet (.41 miles) on US 41/SR 3. The skewed T-intersection of SR 2 and US 41/SR 3 is located within the proposed project limits to the north of Tiger Creek. The existing US 41/SR 3 ROW varies between 85 and 100 feet and the maximum proposed ROW width would vary between 90 and 180 feet. SR 2 would be realigned approximately 80 feet to the south at US 41/SR 3 to form a perpendicular intersection. The bridge realignment would require SR 2 be extended to intersect the realigned portion of US 41/SR 3 north of Tiger Creek. The existing ROW along SR 2 is approximately 150 feet in width and the proposed ROW would vary between approximately 150 feet and 160 feet in width. The project limits on SR 2 would extend approximately 625 feet (.12 mile) east of US 41/SR 3. The total project length would be approximately 2,715 feet (.51 mile). The proposed bridge length has been modified because the bridge elevation was increased to meet flood level clearance requirements. The proposed project would require approximately 2.10 acres of ROW, approximately .20 acre temporary easement for demolition, and .065 acre of temporary driveway easement. The total required ROW has decreased from the original 2.54 acres. The 2011 survey consisted of approximately 215 feet of additional area of potential effect (APE) at the southern end of the project area. It included only the existing ROW on the east and west sides of US 41/SR 3 as project activities are confined to this area. Additional design changes were made in 2012. A short section of shoulder north of Tiger Creek on the northbound side of SR 2 is now being proposed to be a 10-foot paved shoulder at the request of the adjacent property owner. The required ROW width decreased on some parcels based upon coordination with the property owners and drainage design refinements. Survey along SR 2 and survey of an increase in width on the western side of US 41/SR 3 was also completed in 2012. These areas of the APE were not covered during the original 2006 survey. A short section of shoulder north of Tiger Creek on the northbound side of SR 2 is now being proposed to be a 10-foot paved shoulder at the request of the adjacent property owner. The required ROW width decreased on some parcels based upon coordination with the property owners and drainage design refinements. The goal of the current survey was to locate and evaluate archaeological sites within the APE of the proposed undertaking so that potential effects to identified resources could be evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Research at the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) in Athens indicated that eight previously recorded sites, 9CT1, 9CT28, 9CT58, 9CT59, 9CT61, 9CT62, 9CT78, and 9CT92, are located within a 1-kilometer radius of the project area. During the current addendum survey, two previously recorded sites, 9CT92 and 9CT58, were revisited. No additional sites were encountered. Site 9CT92, a non-diagnostic lithic scatter, was identified during the original EPEI survey (Silliman and Regnier 2006). The investigated site dimensions were estimated to be 15-x-15 meters within the original APE. However, the boundaries were not fully defined and the portion of site within the original APE lacked integrity and was considered as non-contributing to the site's eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). An addendum APE along the western extent of the site area was investigated during the current survey. No artifacts were recovered from shovel tests or were surface collected from the site area. Based on the results of the current fieldwork, 9CT92 does not appear to extend further west, and its research potential still remains low. However, until the boundaries of the site are defined, 9CT92 is recommended as of unknown eligibility for the NRHP. Site 9CT58 was documented as a non-diagnostic pre-contact lithic scatter and late nineteenth to twentieth century artifact scatter during the Conasauga River Valley Transmission Line survey conducted by Garrow & Associates, Inc. in 1996. This site was originally recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP. The full extent of the site was not determined as the investigations were confined to the transmission line corridor. The addendum project area extends into 9CT58; however, the APE through the site area was confined to the existing ROW as all project activities are confined to that area. The existing ROW has been heavily disturbed by road construction. No artifacts were recovered during the survey. EPEI recommends the site area within the APE as non-contributing to its NRHP eligibility. Since the full extent of the site has not been determined, EPEI recommends the overall NRHP eligibility for 9CT58 as unknown.