Phase I Archaeological Survey in Advance of Proposed Improvements to SR 316, East of Collins Hill Road to West of Cedars Road, Gwinnett County, Georgia

Edwards-Pitman, Inc. (EP), under contract with Atkins Global, conducted a Phase J archaeological survey in advance of a new tight urban diamond interchange (TUDI) on State Route (SR) 3 16 from Wimberly Way to Progress Center in Gwinnett County (Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT] P.I. No. 0013893). The survey sought to identify and evaluate archaeological sites in compliance with Section I 06 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) due to Section 404 permitting required from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USA CE). The proposed project would construct a new, grade separated TUDI on SR 316 at Hi Hope Road and would close the existing access to SR 316 at Progress Center and Wimberly Way. A collector distributor (CD) system will be constructed to the outside of the proposed ramps at Hi Hope Road. The west facing CD lanes will connect to existing SR 316 CD lanes at SR 20 with a new westbound auxiliary lane from SR 20 to Collins Hill Road. The east facing CD lanes will connect to SR 316 prior to Cedars Road. Reynolds Road will be realigned parallel to SR 316 and connect at a new intersection on Hi-Hope Road and Hurricane Shoals Road. Access to Wimberly Way from Reynolds Road will be retained. On Hi Hope Road, the project would begin approximately 365.8 meters (m) (1 ,200 feet [ft]) northeast of Hosea Road, and would end approximately 121 .9 m (400 ft) south of Swanson Drive. A roundabout is proposed at Hi-Hope/Hurricane Shoals Road and Airport Road. Existing right-of-way (ROW) along SR 3 16 varies from approximately 31 to 110 m (100 to 360 ft), and the existing ROW width a long Hi Hope Road is approximately 24.4 m (80 ft). The required ROW along SR 316 would extend to approximately 140 m (460 ft) at its widest point, and required ROW along Hi Hope Road would extend to approximately 40 m (13 1 ft) in width. The project will require a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act from the USACE. Section 106 compliance is, therefore, being processed through the USA CE. As part of the coordination process with the USA CE, the Section I 06 Area of Potential Effect (APE) documented in this report consists of the immediate upland areas of P.I. No. 001 3893 around impacted Waters of the United States (WOTUS) as delineated in the Scope of Analysis (SOA) documentation, dated December 16, 2021. The USA CE APE, which is comprised of a 100 m (328 ft) buffer around the impacted WOTUS, consists of five non-contiguous areas, USACE APE 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, totaling 34.6 hectares (ha) (85 .5 acres [ ac ]). Fieldwork for the Phase I survey was conducted by EP from July to November 2018 and June 2021. This work resulted in the revisit to two previously recorded archaeological sites 9GW60 I and 9GW632. Site 9GW60 I, located within USACEAPE 3, was originally recorded as a late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century artifact scatter associated with a former house. Site 9GW632, partially located within USA CE APE 2, was original ly recorded as a precontact surface scatter of both ceramic and lithic artifacts that generally dated from the Woodland to Mississippi periods. During the current survey, the shovel tests within and in the vicinity of the previously recorded 9GW60 I and 9GW632 site boundaries yielded no cultural material. Therefore, since both 9GW601 and 9GW632 were previously recommended ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion D, there was no change in the recommendations for both sites.