20210557 Ver 1_PA 18-10-0056 W-5710AI No Archaeological Survey Required Form roundabout NC 218 SR 1606 Union_20210430

Project Tracking No.:
“No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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18-10-0056

NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED FORM
This form only pertains to ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES for this project. It is not
valid for Historic Architecture and Landscapes. You must consult separately with the
Historic Architecture and Landscapes Group.

PROJECT INFORMATION

Project No: W-5710ai County: Union
WBS No: 44856.1.37 Document: C E
F.A. No: HSIP-0218(16) Funding: State Federal
Federal Permit Required? Yes No Permit Type:
Project Description: NCDOT proposes to improve the intersection of NC 218 and SR 1606 (Sikes Mill
Road) in Union County by constructing a roundabout. Preliminary mapping was made available for this
review. The new design places the roundabout overlapping the existing intersection, about 350 feet along
either road in all directions from the center, so roughly 700 feet centered on the central point. The footprint
and width of the project will expand and will require new Right of Way, cut and fill areas, and easements
along the approaches and the traffic circle. For purposes of this archaeological review, the entire
construction footprint (with new ROW, cut and fill lines and any needed easements) is included inside of
the Area of Potential Effects (APE). Overlapping the original intersection, the majority of the APE has
been heavily altered by the constuction of the existing roads and infrastructure which has resulted in a
disturbed archaeological context.
This is a federally funded (FHwA) undertaking, therefore Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act applies for archaeological review. No USACE permit is expected.
SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES REVIEW
Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions:
This intersection is within a rural setting. USGS mapping (Stanfield) and aerial photography was studied
(see Figures 1 and 2). The Google streetview tool was available at this location and used, showing a
residence, removed around 2015, in the northwest quadrant about 150 feet from the intersection. The
immediate surrounds within the APE include a heavily modified and grading lot to the southwest which
may have been parking for a service station or other commerical building no longer present. The southeast
quadrant has several utility poles and installations close to the road with an agricultural field beyond. The
northeast quadrant is an agricultural field.
According to USGS mapping and GIS resources (data layer created by NCDOT archaeologist Paul J.
Mohler), no cemetery is present at the APE or immediately nearby.
The Office of State Archaeology (OSA) was visited to review archaeological mapping and to reference any
known archaeological surveys and sites. This helps establish an archaeological context for comparison.
Few environmental reviews for archaeology have occurred in the immediate and nearby vicinity. One cell
tower 700 feet to the northeast and now built (CT 13-1164) was reviewed by OSA though was not
recommended for archaeological survey. There are no recorded archaeological sites within the APE,
though there are some present in the nearby vicinity.
Project Tracking No.:
“No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement.
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18-10-0056
Brief Explanation of why the available information provides a reliable basis for reasonably predicting
that there are no unidentified historic properties in the APE:
The intersection improvement to include roundabout will be constructed on approximately the same
location and basic alignment as the original. The new roundabout will overlap the existing facility and
therefore over previously disturbed soils, though some new groundbreaking is expected at the margins of
the APE. New impacts are greatest where the traffic circle expands. The majority of the APE is disturbed
by construction of the existing facility, local grading and utilities, and appears eroded, all producing a poor
archaeological context. There are no recorded archaeological sites or cemeteries within the APE.
The context doesn't indicate a high probabilty for archaeological sites within the small, mainly altered APE.
It is unlikely that significant, intact archaeological remains would be present and impacted by the
installation of this roundabout at this intersection. For archaeological review, this federally funded
undertaking should be considered compliant with Section 106.
Please note that Union County has been identified as an area of interest to the Catawba Indian Nation. It is
recommended that you contact each federal agency involved with this project to determine their Section
106 Tribal Consultation requirements.

SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION
See attached: Map(s) Previous Survey Info Photos Correspondence
Photocopy of County Survey Notes Other:
FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
NO ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED
11/15/2019
NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST Date
Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement. 3 of 4 18-10-0056 Figure 1. Vicinity of PA 18-10-0056, the construction of a modified roundabout at the intersection of NC 218 and SR 1606 (Sikes Mill Road) in Union County, shown on USGS mapping (Stanfield). The APE is shown in yellow. StanfieldUNIONS R -1 5 4 7
S R -1 6 0 6
SR-1607SR-1001SR-1608SR-1639SR-1610NC-218Esri, HERE, Garmin, (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS user community, Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe,GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS UserCommunity, Copyright:© 2013 National Geographic Society, i-cubed´0 2,000 4,0001,000 Feet
Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for the Amended Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2015 Programmatic Agreement. 4 of 4 18-10-0056 Figure 2. Aerial map of the proposed construction of a modified roundabout at the intersection of NC 218 and SR 1606 (Sikes Mill Road) in Union County. The approximate APE is shown in yellow with preliminary plans overlaid within the APE. 65'97'NC 218NC 218StanfieldUNIONSR-1606NC-218Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN,and the GIS User Community´0 200 400100 Feet