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MINIMUM CRITERIA DETERMINATION CHECKLIST

TIP Project No.: B-4569

State Project No.: 17BP.2.R.90

Project Location: Bridge No. 68 on SR 1515 (Aldridge Store Road) over Groundnut
Creek in Lenoir County, NC

Project Description: The proposed project involves replacing Bridge No. 68 on SR
1515 (Aldridge Store Road) over Groundnut Creek in Lenoir County. The project will
remove the existing bridge and replace it with a new bridge in its existing location. The
purpose of the project is to remove a structurally deficient bridge.

The replacement structure will be approximately 80 feet long providing a minimum 27-
foot 10-inch clear deck width. The bridge will include two 10-foot lanes and 3-foot 11-
inch offsets on each side. The bridge length is based on preliminary design information
and is set by hydraulic requirements. The roadway grade of the new structure will be
approximately 1-foot higher than the existing structure.

Project construction will extend approximately 180 feet from the west end of the new
bridge and 230 feet from the east end of new bridge. The approach roadway will consist
of two 10-foot lanes with 4-foot shoulders on each side (7-foot with guardrail). The
existing right-of-way is 70 feet. It is anticipated that Permanent Drainage Easement
(PDE) and Temporary Construction Easement (TCE) is needed to build the project.

The new bridge will be constructed at its existing location. Due to low traffic volumes
and available nearby alternative routes, traffic will be detoured offsite during the
construction period. The detour route includes SR 1001 (Paul’s Path Road), SR 1516
(Alphonso Walters Road), and SR 1514 (Brothers Road). There are numerous driveways
along Aldridge Store Road including access to several large agricultural fields and small
businesses. However, there are no residential or business accesses in the immediate
project area. Local access to active farming in the immediate vicinity of the bridge
replacement can be maintained during the construction. Through traffic will be
precluded. There will be a moderate impact on school transportation if the bridge were
closed for up to a year.

Anticipated Permit or Consultation Requirements: The United States Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) holds the final discretion as to what Section 404 permit will be
required to authorize project construction. If a Section 404 permit is required, then a
Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) from the North Carolina Division of
Water Resources (NCDWR) will be needed. Streamside riparian zones within the study
area are protected under provisions of the Neuse River Buffer Rules administered by
NCDWR. Therefore, Buffer Authorizations are required for this project.

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Northern long-eared bat (NLEB) (Myotis septentrionalis): The USFWS has developed
a programmatic biological opinion (PBO) in conjunction with the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), USACE, and NCDOT for NLEB in eastern North Carolina.
The PBO covers the entire NCDOT program in Divisions 1-8, including all NCDOT
projects and activities. The programmatic determination for NLEB is “May Affect,
Likely to Adversely Affect”. The PBO provides incidental take coverage for NLEB and
will ensure compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for five years for
all NCDOT projects with a federal nexus in Divisions 1-8, which includes Lenoir
County, where the project is located. This level of incidental take is authorized from the
effective date of a final listing determination through April 30, 2020.

Special Project Information:

Purpose and Need:
The purpose of the proposed project is to replace a structurally deficient bridge. Existing
Bridge No. 68 is 61 feet long, with a clear roadway width of 26 feet. The bridge has an
asphalt wearing surface over concrete channel beams. The substructure consists of timber
piles and concrete caps.

NCDOT Structures Management Unit Records indicated Bridge No. 68 currently has a
sufficiency rating of 22.01 out of a possible 100 for a new structure. The bridge is posted
with a weight limit of 19 tons for single vehicles and 22 tons for truck tractor semi-
trailers. The bridge is considered structurally deficient due to a structural appraisal of 4
out of 9.

Estimated Traffic:
Current Year (2015) 660 vehicles per day (vpd)
Future Year (2040) 1,600 vpd
Tractor Trailer – Semi-truck (TTST) 3%
Dual Axle Trucks (Dual) 3%

Alternatives Evaluation:

No Build – The no build alternative would result in eventually closing the road,
which is not anticipated to cause considerable disruption to transportation users
due to low traffic volumes served by SR 1515 and available nearby alternate
routes.

Rehabilitation – The superstructure of the bridge is prestressed concrete channel
with timber piles structure. The bridge was built in 1966. The timber and steel
joists within the bridges are reaching the end of their useful life. Rehabilitation
would require replacing the joists which would constitute effectively replacing the
bridge.

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Replace In-Place with Off-site Detour (Recommended) - The existing bridge
will be replaced with a new bridge in its existing location. An off-site detour was
evaluated due to low traffic volumes and available nearby routes. The off-site
detour route includes SR 1001 (Paul’s Path Road), SR 1516 (Alphonso Walters
Road), and SR 1514 (Brothers Road).

On-site Detour – An on-site detour was not evaluated due to low traffic volumes
served by SR 1515.

Staged Construction – Staged construction was not considered because of the
availability of an acceptable off-site detour.

New Alignment – Given that the alignment for SR 1515 is acceptable, a new
alignment was not considered as an alternative.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations – There is no presence of bicycle,
pedestrian, greenway, or transit facilities, therefore, no bicycle or pedestrian
accommodations are proposed for the project.

Estimated Costs:
The proposed project is included in the NCDOT State Bridge Program. Right of way
acquisition and construction are scheduled for fiscal years 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Current cost estimates, based on 2019 prices, are as follows:

Right of Way: $ 21,500
Utilities: $ 17,520
Construction $ 575,000
Total: $ 614,020

Design Exceptions:
A design exception is required for vertical curvature.

Bridge Demolition:
The existing bridge is constructed of concrete. The replacement and demolition of this
type of structure is likely to result in debris in the water based on standard demolition
practices. NCDOT will ensure that the demolition process complies with environmental
permit requirements.

Floodplain:
This project involves construction activities on or adjacent to FEMA-regulated stream(s).
Therefore, the Division shall submit sealed as-built construction plans to the Hydraulics
Unit upon completion of project construction, certifying that the drainage structure(s) and
roadway embankment that are located within the 100-year floodplain were built as shown
in the construction plans, both horizontally and vertically.

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The Hydraulics Unit will coordinate with the NC Floodplain Mapping Program (FMP), to
determine status of project with regard to applicability of NCDOT’S Memorandum of
Agreement, or approval of a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) and
subsequent final Letter of Map Revision (LOMR).

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PART A: MINIMUM CRITERIA

YES NO
1. Is the proposed project listed as a type and class of activity allowed under
the Minimum Criteria Rule in which environmental documentation is not
required?

If the answer to number 1 is “no”, then the project does not qualify as a
minimum criteria project. A state environmental assessment is required.

If yes, under which category? 9 (Reconstruction of existing crossroad or railroad separations and
existing stream crossings, including, but not limited to, pipes,
culverts, and bridges)
If either category #8, #12(i) or #15 is used complete Part D of this checklist.

PART B: MINIMUM CRITERIA EXCEPTIONS

YES NO
2. Could the proposed activity cause significant changes in land use
concentrations that would be expected to create adverse air quality
impacts?

3. Will the proposed activity have secondary impacts or cumulative
impacts that may result in a significant adverse impact to human health
or the environment?

4. Is the proposed activity of such an unusual nature or does the proposed
activity have such widespread implications, that an uncommon concern
for its environmental effects has been expressed to the Department?

5. Does the proposed activity have a significant adverse effect on wetlands;
surface waters such as rivers, streams, and estuaries; parklands; prime or
unique agricultural lands; or areas of recognized scenic, recreational,
archaeological, or historical value?

6. Will the proposed activity endanger the existence of a species on the
Department of Interior's threatened and endangered species list?

7. Could the proposed activity cause significant changes in land use
concentrations that would be expected to create adverse water quality or
ground water impacts?

8. Is the proposed activity expected to have a significant adverse effect on
long-term recreational benefits or shellfish, finfish, wildlife, or their
natural habitats

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PART C: COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS

YES NO
9. Is a federally protected threatened or endangered species, or its
habitat, likely to be impacted by the proposed action?

10. Does the action require the placement of temporary or permanent
fill in waters of the United States?

11. Does the project require the placement of a significant amount of
fill in high quality or relatively rare wetland ecosystems, such as
mountain bogs or pine savannahs?

12. Is the proposed action located in an Area of Environmental
Concern, as defined in the coastal Area Management Act?

13. Does the project require stream relocation or channel changes?

Cultural Resources
14. Will the project have an “effect” on a property or site listed on the
National Register of Historic Places?

15. Will the proposed action require acquisition of additional right of
way from publicly owned parkland or recreational areas?

Response to Question 10 –
Jurisdictional streams and wetlands were identified within the project study area. Project
construction will result in approximately 0.10 acres of wetland impacts and no stream
impacts.

Project construction will also impact riparian buffers protected by the Neuse River
Riparian Buffer Rules. Impacts to Zone 1 buffers will be approximately 4,211 square feet
and impacts to Zone 2 buffers will be approximately 2,932 square feet.

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PART D:( To be completed when either category #8, 12(i) or #15 of the rules are
used.)

16. Project length: N/A

17. Right of Way width: N/A

18. Project completion date: N/A

19. Total acres of newly disturbed ground
surface:

N/A

20. Total acres of wetland impacts: N/A

21. Total linear feet of stream impacts: N/A

22. Project purpose: N/A

Prepared by: Date: 6/25/2019
Suzanne Unger Young, PE
Three Oaks Engineering

Approved by:

Date:

Michael C. Aman, PE
Division Bridge Program Manager
NCDOT Division 2

Approved by:

Date:

Jay Johnson
Division Environmental Officer
NCDOT Division 2

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Project Commitments

Lenoir County
Bridge No. 68 on SR 1515 (Aldridge Store Road)
over Groundnut Creek
State Project No. 17BP.2.R.90
TIP No. B-4569

School Transportation Coordination (Division 2 Construction)

• School buses use Bridge No. 68 twelve times per day. NCDOT Division 2 should
coordinate with Lenoir County school officials to address impacts to school bus
routes. In order to have time to adequately reroute school busses, Lenoir County
Schools should be contacted at [phone] at least one month prior to road
closure.

FEMA Floodplains and Floodways (Division 2 Construction)

• This project involves construction activities on or adjacent to FEMA-regulated
stream(s). Therefore, the Division shall submit sealed as-built construction plans
to the Hydraulics Unit upon completion of project construction, certifying that the
drainage structure(s) and roadway embankment that are located within the 100-
year floodplain were built as shown in the construction plans, both horizontally
and vertically.

Floodplain Mapping Coordination (NCDOT Hydraulic Design Unit)

• The Hydraulics Unit will coordinate with the NC Floodplain Mapping Program
(FMP), to determine status of project with regard to applicability of NCDOT’S
Memorandum of Agreement, or approval of a Conditional Letter of Map Revision
(CLOMR) and subsequent final Letter of Map Revision (LOMR).

Access/Construction Schedule (NCDOT Contracts Unit)

• Due to possible disruption of access to and between farms along SR 1515
(Aldridge Store Road), it is recommended that access is maintained for farm
equipment and agricultural operations. NCDOT will set the minimum reasonable
contract time to minimize possible temporary disruptions in access.

Northern long-eared bat (NCDOT Division 2)
• Northern long-eared bat (NLEB) (Myotis septentrionalis) - The USFWS has
developed a programmatic biological opinion (PBO) in conjunction with the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), USACE, and NCDOT for NLEB in
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June 2019
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eastern North Carolina. The PBO covers the entire NCDOT program in Divisions
1-8, including all NCDOT projects and activities. The programmatic
determination for NLEB is “May Affect, Likely to Adversely Affect”. The PBO
provides incidental take coverage for NLEB and will ensure compliance with
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for five years for all NCDOT projects
with a federal nexus in Divisions 1-8, which includes Lenoir County, where the
project is located. This level of incidental take is authorized from the effective
date of a final listing determination through April 30, 2020.

B-4569 – Minimum Criteria Determination Checklist Page 2 of 2
June 2019
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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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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: B-4569 County: Lenoir
WBS No: 38413.1.2 Document: PCE or CE
F.A. No: na Funding: State Federal
Federal Permit Required? Yes No Permit Type: ?

Project Description: The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Division 2 intends to
replace Bridge No. 68 on SR 1515, Aldridge Store Road, over Groundnut Creek. The project review
request included a study area 475 feet (144.78 meters) long. For the most part, the proposed project is
expected to remain within the 60-foot (nearly 18.29-meter) wide existing right-of-way (ROW) along that
corridor. But, as designs are developed it is anticipated that an earlier bridge, located immediately to the
northwest of extant Bridge No. 68, will need to be removed. To accommodate this potential action in the
project, an area of potential effects that extends 50 feet beyond existing ROW on the northwest side
within the 475-foot project corridor has been established as the area of potential effects (APE) for
archaeology. This APE is assumed to encompass approximately 1.2 acres (nearly .49 hectare).

SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES REVIEW

Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions:
A review of the site maps and files archived at the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology was
conducted on April 23, 2015 by NCDOT archaeologist, Brian Overton. No previously identified
archaeological resources are located within the APE, but the archaeological survey for Alternative 7 of
the Crescent Road Project (Bon-Harper et al. 2001) identified a large number of sites in upland landforms
(generally above 20 feet AMSL) with well-drained soils. In 2015, a request for archaeological review
was submitted for the replacement of Bridge No. 68 that measured 2000 feet long and 200 feet wide.
This corridor would have extended the project APE at the time onto landforms similar to those observed
as having a higher probability for archaeological; resources in the Crescent Road Project. As a result, an
archaeological reconnaissance was recommended and an Archaeological Survey Required form was
produced on May 1, 2015, for that 9.18-acre APE.

An examination of the data presented on the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office HPOWEB
GIS Service (http://gis.ncdcr.gov/hpoweb/) reveals only one recorded historic property within .5-mile of
the proposed project: the Aldritch House (LR0944), a circa 1890-1910 traditional vernacular frame two-
story house. Only one known cemetery falls within this same radius, the the very edge to the north of
Bridge No. 68.

An examination of soils in Lenoir County presented on the National Resources Conservation Service Web
Soil Survey (http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx) indicates that the following
soil types fall within the delineated APE: Norfolk loamy sand, 6 to 10 percent slopes (Nc); Pamlico muck
(Pc); and Wagram loamy sand, 6 to 10 percent slopes (Wc).

No further archaeological investigations are required for the project within the area established as the
APE for the project as it is currently described. Should the project change to include a larger footprint
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than covered by the current APE, further consultation will be necessary. In the unlikely event that
archaeological remains are encountered during the bridge replacement, work should cease in that area and
the NCDOT Archaeology Group should be notified immediately.

Brief Explanation of why the available information provides a reliable basis for reasonably predicting
that there are no unidentified historic properties in the APE:
As noted above, the project as it is currently proposed is considerably smaller than the previous (2015)
APE. The far shorter project corridor does not extend up onto the same upland landforms overlooking
Groundnut Creek that were expected to have a higher potential for archaeological resources. Along the
southeastern portions of the current APE, the project remains within areas that have been severely
disturbed by the construction and maintenance of the extant transportation facility. Along the
northwestern portions of the APE, the project currently extends beyond existing disturbed ROW to
incorporate the former bridge and road alignment at the Groundnut Creek crossing. Bridge records at
NCDOT date the current Bridge No. 68 to 1966. An examination of USGS maps on file at
http://historicalmaps.arcgis.com/usgs/ reveals that the earlier bridge and road alignment existed at least as
early as 1914. This earlier alignment undoubtedly destroyed any possible previous cultural resources in
that location. The possibility of archaeologically significant cultural resources within the current APE is
considered very remote.

References Cited:

Bon-Harper, Nicholas, D. Cassedy, M. Jorgenson
2001 Archaeological Survey and Evaluation for the Crescent Road Project (Alternative 6), Lenoir
County, North Carolina [corridor label since changed to Alternative 7]. Ms. On file,
Environmental Analysis Unit, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Raleigh.

SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION
See attached: Map(s) Previous Survey Info Photos Correspondence
Other: soil map

FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST
NO ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED

May 29, 2019
NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST Date
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Aerial photograph with 2-foot contours depicting the location for the APE (green lines) for the proposed
replacement of Bridge No. 68 on SR 1515.

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