Revised U-5760 Permit Pre-Application Meeting Minutes (2020-02-27).pdf

STATE
A%
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Roy COOPER TAMES H.TROGDON,III
GOVERNOR SECRETARY
MEMORANDUM — U-5760 PERMIT PRE-APPLICATION MEETING
SUBJECT: STIP Project No. U-5760: Hopkins Rd/Big Mill Farm Rd Widening in Kernersville from
south of US 421/1-40 BUS/NC 150 to NC 66(W Mountain St)
MEETING PURPOSE: To review project development and background, current designs and
minimization efforts, and submittal requirements of forthcoming Section 404/401 IP Permit Application
with United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)and North Carolina Department of Environmental
Quality(NCDEQ).
MEETING DATE, TIME, and LOCATION: February 27, 2020, at 1:00 PM at NCDOT Division 9,
Conference Room A
PARTICIPANTS:
Agency/Organization Attendee(s) Email
NCDOT Division 9 Amy Euliss [e-mail]
NCDOT Division 9 Connie James ckjamesl @ncdot.gov
USACE Nicholle Braspennick [e-mail]
NCDEQ Dave Wanucha [e-mail]
Kimley-Horn Beth Reed [e-mail]
Kimley-Horn Rhodes Hunt [e-mail]
Kimley-Horn Kaitlyn Faugerstrom [e-mail]
Kimley-Horn Mackenzie Richards [e-mail]
Kimley-Horn Teresa Gresham* [e-mail]
* Denotes participant called in via phone
DISCUSSION
The meeting began with an introduction of all attendees led by Amy Euliss. Nicholle Braspennick is
the new USACE representative for this project, having recently taken the role from Bryan Roden-
Reynolds in 2019.
Project Overview
Rhodes Hunt opened the discussion with an overview and description of the project, summarized as
follows:
With State Transportation Improvement Project U-5760, NCDOT plans to connect Harmon Creek
Road to Big Mill Farm Road with a four-lane curb and gutter facility with bicycle lanes and
sidewalks on both sides and 23-foot raised median and construct a new interchange with US 4211
1-40 BUS. Big Mill Farm Road and Hopkins Road(SR 2649) will also be widened from a two-lane
shoulder section to a two-lane curb and gutter facility with bicycle lanes and sidewalks on both
sides and 23-foot raised median for a length of 2.0 miles, to NC 66 (West Mountain Street).

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The project will tie to the adjacent U-2579BA project west of the new interchange, which will
widen US 42111-40 BUS to four lanes each direction (from two), and an additional lane will be
added along US 42111-40 BUS in each direction from the new interchange to the S Main Street
interchange. Total length of construction on US 42111-40 BUS is approximately 1.1 miles.
Rhodes briefly highlighted the process used to develop the interchange configuration in late 2016 to
early 2017 and noted that five (5) configurations were studied: three Partial Cloverleaf configurations,
a traditional Diamond, and a Diverging Diamond (DDI). Based on a variety of environmental,
roadway, and traffic factors, the current Partial Cloverleaf design was chosen, which minimizes
impacts to both the A and C interchange quadrants. Rhodes noted that due to the vertical
grade/elevation differences, it was important to the design team to limit impacts to two main
quadrants as they were largely unavoidable. More detailed information about the each of the five
alternatives will be provided in the Permit Application as was requested by Nicholle.
Design and Minimization Review
Rhodes then began a discussion of avoidance and minimization measures undertaken to limit
environmental and permitting impacts, highlighting eleven (11) specific roadway, hydraulic and utility
design items summarized below:
1. Coordinated with Duke Energy to redesign pole relocation to avoid retention pond PB at-L-
Sta. 15+00 (LT) near Lowe's (design is being actively coordinated with NCDOT and Duke).
2. Proposed retaining wall from -L- Sta. 15+00 to 26+50 +/- (LT)to minimize impacts to stream
SD, UT to Smith Creek (from NRTR).
3. Proposed ramp/loop combination in interchange quadrant B (rather than A) on north side of
1-40 BUS to minimize impacts to streams SD and SJ, UT to Smith Creek, and retention pond
PA.
4. Proposed guardrail and 2:1 (max)slopes at-Y1- Sta. 58+70 +/- (LT)to minimize length of
6' x 9' RCBC extension and to minimize impacts to stream SJ.
5. Reduced berm from 10'to 6.5'from -L-Sta. 84+00 to 85+50 +/- (RT)to minimize impacts to
parallel stream SN, UT to Kerners Mill Creek; note that due to adjacent drainage ditch
design, impacts were still realized.
6. Shifted horizontal alignment west away from parallel stream SN to avoid 325' of impacts
from -L-Sta. 86+75 to 90+00 (RT).
7. Shifted Proposed Erosion Control basin to avoid impact with existing wetland WI near-L-
Sta. 90+00 RT.
8. Proposed guardrail and 2:1 (max)slopes at-L- Sta. 91+00 +/- (LT/RT)to minimize length of
new 2 @ 10' x 10' RCBC and to minimize impacts to Kerners Mill Creek.
9. Proposed guardrail and 2:1 (max)slopes from -L-Sta. 95+00 to 97+00 +/- (LT)to minimize
impacts to stream SS, UT to Kerners Mill Creek.
10. Proposed guardrail and 2:1 (max)slopes from -L-Sta. 97+00 to 100+00 +/- (RT)to minimize
impacts to stream SS, UT to Kerners Mill Creek.
11. Coordinated with CenturyLink to avoid impacts to stream SV, UT to Kerners Mill Creek near
-Y7- (Regents Park Road) Sta. 11+50 (LT).
Each of the above measures was then discussed in greater detail with the corresponding draft permit
drawings. Nicholle and Dave asked about the pole relocation (Item 1) and its potential impact to the
Lowe's retention pond (PB). Rhodes noted that the impact is currently being avoided entirely
(therefore no permit drawing sheet) and that Duke requires 15' of permanent easement from the
center of their overhead power lines and poles. NCDOT is currently obtaining additional surveys
around the pond to better define maintenance access options for Duke. Kimley-Horn will continue
coordinating with NCDOT and Duke to ensure pond PB is not impacted.
Rhodes noted that minimization measures 2 through 4 were illustrated on Permit Drawing Sheet 5.
He mentioned that the large retaining wall parallel to the west side of Big Mill Farm Road significantly
reduces the length of the proposed 6' x 7' RCBC by approximately 75 feet. The downstream outlet
(Permit Site 1B) design minimizes impacts to Stream SD by locating the culvert headwall directly
behind the retaining wall, as the wall will be designed and built around the culvert opening.

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Nicholle and Dave questioned the length of the proposed 435' culvert extension within interchange
quadrant D. Rhodes said that the culvert will be located underneath 4:1 fill slopes per NCDOT
standards; additionally, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County maintains a significant sanitary sewer line
and requires 4:1 slopes to access their facilities. Rhodes mentioned that additional retaining walls
and 2:1 slopes were evaluated, but these measures did not reduce the length of the culvert enough
to prevent the need for an Individual Permit. Together with the Division in 2018, these options had
previously been deemed impractical. Nicholle requested Impact calculations with both a wall and 2:1
fill slopes; Kimley-Horn will provide these with the Permit Application package as requested.
Nicholle inquired about the bottomless culvert design for the culvert extension within quadrant D as
well as on the north side of 1-40 BUS (Site 1A); Kaitlyn Faugerstrom noted that the existing
bottomless culvert under 1-40 BUS is being retained and the design approach (to match the existing
condition with both extensions) had been coordinated with the NCDOT Hydraulics Unit and Division
9.
On permit drawing sheets 9 and 10, the designs related to minimization measures 5 through 11
(Sites 2A, 2B, 2C, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, 6A, and 6B)were discussed in greater detail. For sites 2A and 3 on
sheet 9, Rhodes and Kaitlyn explained that even though the roadway typical section was narrowed,
the jurisdictional stream SN and wetland WF were impacted due to the vertical grade differences; the
roadway cannot be lowered due to maintenance of traffic. The channel will be reestablished with a
natural 3' base ditch lined with rip rap. Rhodes said that a retaining wall was evaluated but is
impractical, as its construction would likely impact the stream and the existing stream's proximity to
the wall could undermine the wall's stability. Nicholle and Dave agreed with this approach.
On Sheet 10, Rhodes mentioned that the roadway alignment was shifted approximately 15 feet to
the west away from stream SN to prevent approximately 325 LF of additional impacts. Impacts to
Kerners Mill Creek (Sites 2C, 4A, 4B, and 5)were due primarily to the roadway improvements and
widening. However, multiple minimization measures were applied, including 2:1 fill slopes with
guardrail and shifting the southbound right turn lane further south, away from Kerners Mill Creek. It
was also noted that Wetland WQ was impacted due to the proposed sanitary sewer realignment
around the culvert extension.
Rhodes and Kaitlyn explained the roadway and hydraulic design background for Sites 6A and 6B,
noting that the horizontal curves are being substantially upgraded and the existing skewed stream
crossing is being improved to perpendicular crossings per NCDOT Hydraulic Design standards. If
desired, a retaining wall could be installed on the east side of Hopkins Road to limit the upstream
side stream impacts (a public citizen request for a wall has also been submitted).
Nicholle asked Rhodes to explain minimization measure 11 regarding CenturyLink; he explained that
Kimley-Horn requested that they maintain their aerial line rather than burying it along -Y7- (Regents
Park Road), which prevented an impact to Stream SV.
Nicholle also asked about the merger screening process given that U-5760 now requires an
Individual Permit due to increased impacts as a result of the culvert extension at the interchange,
noting that it had previously been determined a non-merger project because it was anticipated to
stay below the threshold for a Nationwide Permit. Amy explained that merger would not be practical
for U-5760 at this stage and mentioned that the project does not involve competing resources.
Nicholle and Dave agreed with this decision/explanation and concluded that the project should
proceed as planned (not requiring the merger process).
Amy noted a few minor comments on the draft permit drawings, including updating the profile grid
color to not print black, including blow-up insets of the permit sites, and to add rip rap to the channel
at Site 6A to match Detail 22. Kimley-Horn will incorporate these revisions into the draft permit
drawings to be submitted to USACE and NCDEQ.

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Schedule and Next Steps
Nicholle highlighted submittal requirements for the Section 404/401 IP Permit Application, summarized as
follows:
• Updated Permit Drawings
• Impact Calculations for Interchange Alternatives and Additional Minimization Design
options
• Section 106 Documentation and Tribal Coordination
• List of Adjacent Property Owners (in excel format)
o Note: following the meeting, Amy confirmed that this list is comprised of property
owners with impacts and property owners immediately adjacent to those with
impacts if the stream/wetland flows onto or from their property
• DMS Mitigation Acceptance Letter
• ORM Data Upload Sheet
• ESA T&E Species
Beth Reed noted that Kimley-Horn is prepared to submit the permit package in late March (following the
anticipated receipt of supplemental surveys). In the meantime, Kimley-Horn will provide draft Permit
Drawings to USACE and NCDEQ for concurrent review(prior to the submittal of the application)with the
NCDOT Hydraulics Unit; the drawings were submitted to Hydraulics on February 27, 2020.
ACTION ITEMS
Responsible Party Task
Kimley-Horn Provide draft permit drawings to USACE and NCDEQ for concurrent
review with NCDOT Hydraulics Unit (provided Friday, February 28)
Submit Individual Permit Application to USACE and NCDEQ, including
Kimley-Horn items noted above and impact calculations for interchange alternatives
and additional minimization options evaluated
Kimley-Horn Coordinate with NCDOT to finalize Duke Energy relocation and access
design near Lowe's retention pond
NCDOT Provide supplemental surveys near Lowe's and requested pipe
conditions/videos to Kimley-Horn
USACE and NCDEQ Provide review comments on Draft Permit Drawings by March 13, 2020.