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Home My WebLink About20080080 Ver 1_Information Letter_20080310ya +, V TOXI QUA DZco-?o V `G ?11 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA .,4WQ7,y DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ' MICHAEL F. EASLEY GOVERNOR March 3, 2008 Mr. Brian P. Cole Field Supervisor Fish and Wildlife Service Asheville Regulatory Field Office 160 Zillicoa Street Asheville, NC 28801 DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS February 28, 2008 W. LYNDO TIPPET SECRETARY Subject: Proposed Pipe Extension on NC 218, 300 Feet West of the US 601 South Intersection. Union County, North Carolina (WBS Element No. 1OB.109011) Dear Mr. Cole, It has come to my attention that the North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) proposal to extend the 60 inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) located on NC 218 at the US 601 intersection in Union County has prompted your office to make the recommendation that a bottomless structure be installed at this crossing. As you may know, the recommendation for a bottomless structure would require a hydraulic watershed survey as well as a geotechnical survey before the structure size and footing recommendations could be made. Each survey could take an average of four months to complete. Once a recommendation for a replacement structure is made, it can take a minimum of another three to four months to take delivery of the structure. To further complicate matters, we do not know for sure that suitable conditions exist for the installation of a bottomless structure at this site and, even if they do, it would take a year or more before the construction of a new structure could begin. Given the fact that our original request for a pipe extension was prompted due to a serious safety hazard (less than two feet of road shoulder adjacent to a five foot vertical drop off), we do not feel that delaying this safety improvement project up to a year is a responsible decision and it is definitely a decision that this department is not prepared to support. It is my understanding this particular crossing is located over a mile away from the designated Critical Habitat for the Carolina heelsplitter and that the proposed pipe extension would likely have less impact on the watershed than an open cut total replacement would pose. Furthermore, the banks on the downstream side of the existing culvert are heavily vegetated and are not actively eroding. Based upon pipe and stream elevations that have been taken at this site, it appears as if we will be able to offset the current "perched pipe" situation that exists with a eight foot culvert extension thereby improving the opportunity for aquatic passage. In summary, the NCDOT would like to request that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reconsider it's recommendation for a bottomless structure at the NC 218 and US 601 intersection in 716 W. Main Street, Albemarle, NC 28001 * Telephone (704) 982-0101 * Fax (704) 982-3146 North Carolina Division of Highways - 10`h Division Bridge Maintenance Department Union County. The NCDOT feels that this recommendation is not practical given the serious concern for public safety at this crossing, the potential delay that a request for a total replacement would create, as well as the minimal benefits that would be gained by installing a bottomless structure over this crossing at this particular time. If our request seems unreasonable, I would certainly appreciate the opportunity to discuss this project with you in more detail. Please feel free to contact either myself, or Larry Thompson, Division Environmental Supervisor, at 704-982-0101. Sincerely, arland Haywood, P.E. Division Bridge Maintenance Engineer /gh cc: Mr. Steve Lund, USACE Mr. Brian Wrenn, NCDWQ Ms. Polly Lespinasse, NCDWQ Ms. Marla Chambers, NCWRC 716 W. Main Street, Albemarle, NC 28001 * Telephone (704) 982-0101 * Fax (704) 982-3146 North Carolina Division of Highways - 10`h Division Bridge Maintenance Department 1 25 CL II RIP RAP TO BR 1453 tTBr00 C w£STSOUND LANE C EASTBOUND LANE TE IMPERVIOUS DIKE SAAN? NK TEMPORARY DIyERSION CHANNEL DETAIL 2p , 3d COR FSER MA1 "B IYPE a LRER • COR FSER MAT MIn.O = O.Bm EST. EM B 3.fm EST. xCAVAI M • 170 Cw DIKE IMPERVIOUS ? ? DETTAIRLBIOx 014100m. /'- TEMP STILLI1 SASIN c us a Yc an TO OR 1128 tTS.oB / y V?- CL II RIP RAP yy ! tlP---------------'- 7EIP DIVERSION ClNRMELP C - - - - - - - c C BEE DETAIL hR? Construction Sequence 1 - Maintain traffic on Existing US 19. 2 - Remove portion of Barrel 3 S 4 and wingwall on South end of existing box culvert. Construct temporary dikes and diversion channels to and from Barrel 3. Construct Temp Stilling Basin. Divert stream flow to diversion channel. 3 - Remove portion of Barrels 1 a 2 and wingwall on South end of existing box culvert. 4 - Construct proposed eastbound US 19 bridge and approaches. Transfer traffic from "old" US 19 alignment to new eastbound US 19. 5 - Remove portion of "old" US 19 fill and Barrels 1 a 2 of existing box culvert. Construct permanent stream alignment. 6 - Remove dikes and transfer flow from temporary diversion channel to permanent stream. Fill in temporary diversion channel and revegetate. 7 - Remove portion of "old" US 19 fill and Barrels 3 a 4. Construct proposed westbound US 19 bridge and approaches. NOTE: Portion of Barrels 1 - 4 of existing box culvert initially removed on South and to allow room for construction of eastbound US 19 bridge. 6 u CL II RIP RAP TO SR 1459 7- f w£STap/ND LANE f EASTBOUND LANE F______--_- TEMP IMPERVIOUS - DIKE TOP OF aANK TEMPORARY DIyERSION CHANNEL DETAIL ze ? al COR FOUR MAi "B TYPE OF LINER COFt FMER MAT 41n.0 = O.Sm EST. E-yn B = 3.Am ES T. %CAVATKw = ITO CW TEMP DI IQ IMPERVIOUS , TEMP DIVERSION CHANNEL / ..0 ME DETAIL STILLING 613IN M REO D VOL 195 M -------- (j?/6 al ? ----- 17- . . T6 ASF TO SR 1123 ------------- 'f4 j CL II RIP RAP J _ - _ _ _ - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -E _ TEMP DIVERSION CHANNELF C _ - C - _ - - - - -C - - - - - - - SE EDGE OF E DETAIL MATER Construction Sequence 1 - Maintain traffic on Existing US 19. 2 - Remove portion of Barrel 3 & 4 and wingwall on South end of existing box culvert. Construct temporary dikes and diversion channels to and from Barrel 3. Construct Temp Stilling Basin. Divert stream flow to diversion channel. 3 - Remove portion of Barrels 1 & 2 E`°'"".''"-`°-:- and wingwall on South end of existing box culvert. 4 - Construct proposed eastbound US 19 bridge and approaches. Transfer traffic from "old" US 19 alignment to new eastbound US 19. 5 - Remove portion of "old" US 19 fill and Barrels 1 & 2 of existing box culvert. Construct permanent stream alignment. 6 - Remove dikes antl transfer flow from temporary diversion channel to permanent stream. Fill in temporary diversion channel and revegetate. 7 - Remove portion of "old" US 19 fill and Barrels 3 & 4. Construct proposed westbound US 19 bridge and approaches. NOTE: Portion of Barrels 1 - 4 of existing box culvert initially removed on South end t0 allow room for construction of eastbound US 19 bridge.