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Home My WebLink AboutU-401t1 0;A7 NCDENR JAMES B. HUNTJR GOVERNOR 1 i .i WAYNE MCDEVITT SECRETARY KERR T. STEVENS DIRECTOR 4 -I i { NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY RECEIPT OFPAYMENT? ° December 3, 1999 Mr. Steve Lund Asheville Regulatory Field Office US Army Corps of Engineers ci Ell `?` 151 Patton Avenue, Room 143 Asheville, NC 28801-5006 u- Dear Mr Lund: it 1TF:z r , Subject: TIP No. U-401 Action ID #199830659 DWQ # 980491 Buncombe County The North Carolina Wetlands Restoration Program (NCWRP) received check number 519316 which includes S 97,500.00 as payment for the compensatory mitigation requirements of the subject U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 permit (Action ID #199830659) and 401 Water Quality Certification (DWQ # 980491) issued to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The NCWRP, by acceptance of this payment, acknowledges that the NCWRP is responsible for the compensatory mitigation requirements associated with Action ID #199830659, and agrees to provide the compensatory mitigation as specified in Special Conditions (9) of this permit. As specified in Special Conditions (9) the NCWRP will restore 780 linear feet of stream in Cataloging Unit 06010105 of the Upper French Broad River Basin. If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact Crystal Braswell at (919) 733-5208. Sincerely, Ronald E. Ferrell NCWRP, Program Manager cc: Dr. Charles Bruton John Hennessey - File P.O. BOX 29535, RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27626-0535 PHONE 919-733-7015 FAX 919-733.2496 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY / AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER - 50% RECYCLED/10% POST-CONSUMER PAPER -vile" ?/ Alternative Comparison for widening/ realigning SR 1684 (Elk Mountain Road) in Woodfin TIP No. U-401 Bucombe County The Department of Transportation (DOT) has investigated several alternatives in order to improve SR 1684 (Elk Mountain Road) in Woodfin. Roadway improvements include widening and realigning the roadway to increase the design speed, reduce the potential for accidents, and provide some traffic flow improvements. The resource agencies have a concern about the DOT's current proposal to accommodate widening/ realigning SR 1684 by enclosing 1025 feet of an unnamed tributary of Beaverdam Creek in a pipe. The discussions for Alternatives 1, 2A, 2B and 2D can be found in the Reevaluation of Project Planning Report and Environmental Assessment, signed on August 19, 1997 by the Federal Highway Administration. Alternative 1: Widen alonb the eastern portion of SR 1684 This alternative would widen SR 1684 to the east and thereby avoid impacts to the stream. This eastward shift would require the relocation of three residences, encroach upon the Elk Mountain Community Cemetery and require a substantial amount of new right of way. This alternative would create a less desirable alignment by adding a reverse curve near Fourth Street and sharpening the curvature near the NC 251 intersection. This alternative would still require that approximately 200 feet of the stream be piped to accommodate roadway realignment with NC 251. The DOT does not believe that this alternative is practicable. Alternative 2A: Widen SR 1684 along the western side with a retaining wall This alternative involves west side widening of SR 1684 and would minimize stream impacts and pipe enclosure by the construction of a retaining wall. A 775-foot retaining wall would allow most of the stream to remain intact. The retaining wall would cost $ 252,000. In this alternative, the DOT also investigated the possibility of rechanneling 180 feet of the stream in an open channel prior to pipe enclosure under the roadway for the NC 251 intersection. This open channel would be straight because the terrain would not allow sufficient room to include meanders along the new channel to imitate the existing channel. The open channel would require excavation work involving substantial construction costs, as well as a considerable quantity of waste material. This relocated open channel would lie at the toe of the highway fill slope and require rip rap on the highway side of the channel for stabilization. As mentioned, this alternative would also include piping the stream under the realigned roadway. The DOT believes this alternative is also not practicable. Alternative 213: Widen SR 1684 along the western side with a relocated stream This alternative would widen SR 1684 along the western side and would minimize pipe enclosure by relocating the stream in an open channel. An extensive amount of excavation through steep terrain would be required to relocate an open channel and to establish side slopes. This excavation work would generate high construction costs, as well as a large quantity of waste material. The open channel would be straight because the terrain would not allow sufficient room to include meanders along the new channel to imitate the existing channel. This relocated open channel would lie at the toe of the highway fill slope and require rip rap on the highway side of the channel for stabilization. This alternative would still necessitate that a portion of the stream be piped under the realigned roadway. The DOT believes this alternative is also not practicable. Alternative 2C: Widen SR 1684 along the western side and relocate an open channel stream on the east side of roadway This alternative would widen SR 1684 along the western side of the roadway and would minimize pipe enclosure by relocating the unnamed tributary on the eastern side of the roadway. The resource agencies suggested this alternative during a review of permit drawings and plan sheets on November 6, 1997. The agencies desire that the stream have an open channel. This alternative would initially require piping the stream under SR 1684 to the east and place the stream in an open channel. The stream would flow along the eastern side before being piped back under SR 1684, prior to the stream's confluence. with Beaverdam Creek. The DOT Hydraulics Unit reviewed the agencies' recommendation. This alternative would require a substantial amount of additional right of way to excavate an open channel. The terrain is steep on the east side of the roadway. An excavated stream channel would cause encroachment into the cemetery and large portions of residential property would be caused. Excavation for the open straight stream channel would induce greater construction costs and a large amount of waste material. The channel would lack meanders, and rip rap would likely need to be placed on the highway side of the channel for stabilization. Based on this information, the DOT does not also consider this alternative to be practicable. Alternative 21): Widen SR 1684 along the western side and include the stream in the project's stormdrain system SR 1684 would be widened along its western side, and 1025 feet of stream would be enclosed in a pipe. The DOT recognizes that this alternative would require stream mitigation which would cost $ 128,125 based stream mitigation figures from the DEHNR Wetland Restoration Program. In the DOT's opinion, this alternative is the most practicable and is recommended for roadway widening and improvements to SR 1684.