Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed SR 17A Bridge Replacement Over Toccoa Creek, Stephens County, Georgia

                Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Project PI #0014908 would replace the existing bridge carrying State Route 17 Alternate (SR 17A) over Toccoa Creek in Stephens County, Georgia (Figures 1 and 2). The existing bridge was constructed in 1935 and widened in 1978. The bridge consists of three spans of Reinforced Concrete Deck Girders (RCDGs) on concrete caps with concrete columns, and the widened section consists of three spans of precast concrete box beams on concrete caps with steel piles. The bridge has a sufficiency rating of 60.3. The existing typical section consists of two 11 -foot travel lanes with a 12-foot flush median. The project is in a preliminary concept phase and the proposed typical section has not yet been determined. The existing right-of-way (ROW) is 100 feet, and the proposed ROW would be determined as project plans develop. Traffic would be maintained on the existing bridge during construction, and the replacement bridge would be permanently offset.

                Since the project is in a preliminary concept phase, the APE for the current survey has been defined as the total length and width of the environmental survey boundary (ESB). The dimensions of the ESB are determined prior to fieldwork and are designed to capture a large enough area within which variations in project design can occur. The limits of the ESB have been defined as an area measuring approximately 310 feet (95 meters) wide by approximately 2,265 feet (690 meters) long centered on the existing bridge structure. As the limits of the ESB cover all possible design alternatives, no expanded survey corridor (ESC) is required for this project. For the purpose of this report, the Project ESB will be referred to occasionally as the project survey area.