20211435 Ver 1_Bridge_203_Bunc_cover_letter signed_20210930

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
ROY COOPER J. ERIC BOYETTE
GOVERNOR SECRETARY

Mailing Address:
NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
DIVISION THIRTEEN
55 ORANGE STREET
ASHEVILLE, NC 28801-2340
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Customer Service: 1-877-368-4968

Website: www.ncdot.gov
Location:
55 ORANGE STREET
ASHEVILLE, NC 28801-2340

September 28, 2021

Ms. Lori Beckwith
US Army Corps of Engineers
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, NC 28801-5006

Subject: Nationwide Permit #3
Bridge 100203, SR 2416 Warren Wilson Road
State Project No. 13BPR.20111
Buncombe County, NC

Dear Ms. Beckwith:

I have enclosed a set of plans, a PCN application for an after-the-fact NWP #3, and a vicinity map
relative to the bridge repair project on SR 2416 Warren Wilson Road, Buncombe County, NC.

Bridge inspections revealed end bent 2 of the bridge had been undercut and a void extended
approximately eight feet behind the end bent. In addition, a 6-8 feet deep scour hole was present
in front of the end bent face. NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) personnel were
concerned the end bent would fail and result in collapse of the road. An on-site meeting was held
on July 26, 2021, between the NC Division of Water Quality (DWQ) and NCDOT. Attendees
included Kevin Mitchell (DWQ), Roger Bryan, Yates Allen, Justin Rice, Shannon Woody, and
Ethan Calloway (all of NCDOT). Everyone agreed the best course of action was to divert the
stream, pump residual water from the site, construct a new face on the end bent (tie steel,
construct forms, and pour concrete), and to backfill the scour hole. The next step is to bore
through the road and/or shoulders and pump in grout to completely fill the void behind the end
bent. Kevin agreed that DWQ would pursue the project as an After-the-Fact (ATF) permit and he
would speak to the US Army Corps of Engineers about the matter. The Corps subsequently
agreed to pursue it as an ATF permit, also.

By August 3, 2021, a maintenance crew began installing the stream diversion and by August 10
was tying steel and forming the new face of end bent 2. The site was overwhelmed by a tropical
storm system during the week of August 16. By September 14, the crew began restoring the
diversion, cleaning up the site, and restoring the forms. The new end bent face was poured on
September 16. As of September 27, the scour hole was filled in with natural stream material and
the site was seeded and matted. Grout still must be pumped in from the roadway to completely
fill the void behind the end bent.

Fifty (50) linear feet (LF) of Beetree Creek were permanently impacted by construction of the
new end bent face. Sixty (60) LF of the creek were impacted by filling in the scour hole.

Lori Beckwith
Page –2 Bridge 100203, Buncombe County
September 28, 2021

Approximately 90 LF were temporarily impacted by dewatering. Beetree Creek is approximately
20’ wide and 4” deep with a predominately cobble and small boulder substrate. The creek is
classified as Class C.

No species on the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s list of protected species for Buncombe County,
NC were affected.

As a part of the 401 Certification process, the project was processed through the DOT
Programmatic Agreement for Minor Project as required by Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and GS 121-12(a). No Historic Resources were affected.
Communications with Mary Pope Furr of the Environmental Analysis Unit Cultural Resources
Branch and the Cultural Resources Programmatic Agreement Screening Checklist for Section 106
are attached for the Corps file.

Kristi Lynn Carpenter, NC Division of Water Resources, Transportation Permitting Unit and
Kevin Mitchell, NC DWR Asheville Regional Office will review the project through the
electronic form (https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/Forms/Pre-Construction_Notification_Form).
Please charge the application fee of $240.00 to WBS element # 13BPR.20111. Please forward
comments directly to the Corps with copy to Division 13 Environmental Officer.

Your earliest consideration for this request would be greatly appreciated. If you have any
questions or information needs, please contact me at [phone].

Sincerely,

Yates Allen
Environmental Specialist

Enclosures

cc: Mark T. Gibbs, P.E., Division Engineer
Mike Calloway, Division Bridge Program Manager