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Home My WebLink About20091070_Meeting Minutes_20080220STA7Z STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIOls MICHAEL F EASLEY GOVERNOR February 15, 2008 o* F46 6J 11"Ait 'c 6? <?011 '?'bswnt T LYNDO TIPPETT SECRETARY MEMORANDUM TO. Andy Williams, US Army Corps of Engineers Felix Davila, Federal Highway Administration Christopher Militshcher, US Environmental Protection Agency Gary Jordan, US Fish and Wildlife Service Travis Wilson, NC Wildlife Resources Commission Amy Euliss, NCDENR-DWQ /Wetlands Renee Gledhill-Earley, NC Dept of Cultural Resources - SHPO Tyler Meyer, Greensboro MPO FROM Karen S Reynolds / Prod ect Development and Environmental Analysis Branch SUBJECT: R-2612A/13 US 421 Interchange Additions at SR 3389 (Woody Mill Road) and SR 3418 (Neelley Road) in Pleasant Garden, south of Greensboro FA Prod ect No NET-421(11), NCDOT TIP Prod ect No 8 1493 301 WBS No 34483, NCDOT Highway Division 7, Guilford County Minutes from Field Review of Proposed Avoidance & Mmnruzation Measures A Field Review with the Section 404/NEPA Team Members convened on Wednesday, January 16, 2008, at 10 30 am in the Highway Division 7 Conference Room in Greensboro Team members and NCDOT staff continued the field review in the two proposed interchange locations within the project limits The following project team members and NCDOT staff were to attendance Andy Williams - US Army Corps of Engineers Felix Davila - FHWA, NC Division Chris Militscher - USEPA David Wainwright - NCDENR, DWQ Amy Euliss - NCDENR, DWQ Gary Jordan - US Fish and Wildlife Service Travis Wilson - NC Wildlife Resources Comm Patty Eason - NCDOT, Highway Division 7 Jerry Parker - NCDOT, Highway Division 7 Craig McKinney - Greensboro MPO MAILING ADDRESS NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 1548 MAIL SERVICE CENTER RALEIGH NC 27699 1548 Kathy Matthews - USEPA Glenn Mumford - NCDOT Roadway Design Branch Tatia White - NCDOT Roadway Design Branch Jerry Snead - NCDOT Hydraulics Ashley Cox - NCDOT, PDEA - NEU Greg Price - NCDOT, PDEA - NEU Brad Chilton - NCDOT, PDEA - NEU Linwood Stone - NCDOT, Project Development Karen Reynolds - NCDOT, Project Development TELEPHONE 919-733 3141 FAX 919-733-9794 WEBSITE WWW DOH DOT STATE NC US LOCATION TRANSPORTATION BUILDING 1 SOUTH WILMINGTON STREET RALEIGH NC R-2612 January 16, 2008 - Field Review Minutes February 15, 2008 Meeting Purpose The purpose of the meeting was to inspect several stream and wetlands sites located within the NCDOT preferred alternatives, and to discuss the associated avoidance and minimization measures for each site The Section 404/NEPA Team Members were to inspect the proposed impacts to Wetlands 9, 9B, 11 and the crossings of Stream 6, Big Alamance Creek, for the Neelley Road interchange design Additionally, the team members were to review the impacts of the proposed relocation of Stream 2, an unnamed tributary of Big Alamance Creek, for the Woody Mill interchange design A large scale public hearing map (1 inch = 100 feet) was displayed for reference during the meeting introduction in the Division 7 conference room Protect Description • NCDOT proposes to construct two interchanges on at-grade intersection locations along US 421 in Pleasant Garden, south of Greensboro The proposed improvements will also remove several other existing at-grade intersections within the project limits R-2612A will construct a diamond interchange and a service road at SR 3389 (Woody Mill Road) R-2612B will construct a half-cloverleaf interchange at SR 3417 (Neelley Road) • The total project length is 1 75 miles (R-2612A is 1 02 miles long, while R-2612B is 0 73 miles long due to proximity to the I-85 Bypass dust east of the project ) Current Protect Schedule • Environmental Assessment October 1998 • FONSI June 2008 • Right of Way Acquisition FY 2009 (R-2612A Woody Mill Road) • Construction FY 2010 (R-2612A Woody Mill Road) • Right of Way Acquisition FY 2012 (R-2612B Neelley Road) • Construction Unfunded (R-2612B Neelley Road) Protect Purpose and Need The purpose of this project is to improve safety along a section of US 421 that is defined by numerous at-grade intersections The project will construct the final two interchanges along this section of US 421, south of Greensboro During the realignment of US 421 from NC 62 to SR 3314 (Wiley Lewis Road), no funding was available for the construction of these interchanges that connect Neelley Road to Williams Dairy Road and Woody Mill Road to Company Mill Road NCDOT Preferred Alternatives The NCDOT Preferred Alternative for the Woody Mill Road/Company Mill Road interchange is Alternative A-2 This design alternative reduces the overall interchange footprint by using shorter western ramps and by proposing a service road mostly within the existing right-of-way This alternative is located further east of Alternative A-1 and requires fewer residential and business relocations The NCDOT Preferred Alternative for the Neelley Road/Williams Dairy Road interchange is Alternative B-3 This design alternative reduces the overall interchange footprint and allows more distance from the I-85 Bypass by using a half-cloverleaf design Additionally, Alternative B-3 which is located further east than Alternatives B- 1 and B-2, does not displace the Southeast Pentecostal Holiness Church and requires no realignment of SR 3549 (Liberty Road) These alternative maps were distributed in the November 15, 2007, meeting packets Section 404 Jurisdictional Areas ("Waters of the United States") The following table lists the stream impacts investigated during this site meeting, as reported in the NCDOT Natural Systems Natural Resources Technical Report Update (August 2007) R-2612 January 16, 2008 - Field Review Minutes February 15, 2008 Surface Water Impacts Stream Designation Max Width Max Depth Dominant ' 2 Stream Flow Length DWQ 3 (ft) (in) Substrate Classification (ft) Index b R-2612A - Woody Mill Road Alternative A-2 0 4 'k S2 - UT to Big Alamance Creek 65 8 Gr, Co, Sd P C WS-IV NSW 800 16-19-(1) U-2612B = Neelley Road E ; € a Alternative B-3 I4 s E f r .F S6 - Big Alamance Creek 5 18 St, Sd, Gr P C WS-IV NSW 400 16-19-(1) 1 Sd Sand, St Silt, Gr Gravel, Co Cobble, B Boulders 2 I Intermittent stream, P Perennial stream 3 DWQ Index Number for unnamed tnbutanes is the same as the water body into which the tnbutary flows 4 Between existing Minden Road and Hagan-Stone Road intersections 5 1 1, 2 1 - Mitigation rate at 0 45 per linear foot The following table lists the wetland impacts reviewed during this site visit, as reported in the NCDOT Natural Systems Natural Resources Technical Report (August 2007) Wetland Impacts Wetland Wetland Wetland Wetland Wetland Designation Regime Impacts Rating Type Acres (Acres) rE ? R=26I2A - Woody Mill Road E E ?d t `r E ^ Alternative A-2 = F E Permanently WL 3 (Pond Association) 44 PFOIA 0 56 0 19 Flooded ",U 2612B - Neelley Road ' - f _ Alternative B-3,, Temporarily WL 9 85 PFOIA 4 55 3 32 Flooded Temporarily WL 9B 66 PFOIA 0 62 0 59 Flooded Temporarily WL 11 59 PFOIA 2 52 2 27 Flooded PFOIA-Palustrine, Forested, Deciduous Vegetation, temp flooded PUBHh - Palustrme, Unconsolidated Bottom, Perm Flooded, impounded 4 Preliminary Hydraulic Design for the Stream Crossings and Wetlands of the US 421 Interchanges Site Stream Name/ Existing Proposed Wetland Rating Comments No Stream Class Structure Structure And Type Big Alamance Creek None Wetland 3 - Potential 1 UT - Woody Mill Rd 60-inch (6) CMP - 60-inch (6) RCP Fill East of Proposed Cape Fear River Basin (Stream 2) Abandoned rdwy (Woody Mill Road) WB Exit Ramp (to Lake Jordan) C WS-IV NSW Big Alamance Creek - ' Wetland 9 - 1 00-yr Flood Zone Cape Fear River Basin Neelley Road Interch None 72-inch (6 ) RCP Guilford County National Guilford (to Lake Jordan) 2 Stream 6 (Neelley Road) Flood Insurance Program FEMA Emergency Flood C WS-IV NSW Mitigation Necessary Hazard Zone AE Big Alamance Creek - ' Wetland 9 - -yr Flood Zone 100 Cape Fear River Basin Neelley Road Interch None 72-inch (6 ) RCP Guilford National County (to Lake Jordan) 3 Stream 6 (Loop D) Flood Insurance Program FEMA Emergency Flood C WS IV NSW Mitigation Necessary Hazard Zone AE Big Alamance Creek - Wetland 9 100-yr Flood Zone Cape Fear River Basin Neelley Road Interch None 72-inch (6) RCP Guilford County National (to Lake Jordan) 4 Stream 6 (Ramp D) Flood Insurance Program FEMA Emergency Flood C WS-IV NSW Mitigation Necessary Hazard Zone AE " C WS-IV NSW Aquatic life wildlife, recreation, & agriculture - Nutrient Sensitive Waters (No High Quality Waters within 1 mile of project area ) R-2612 January 16, 2008 - Field Review Minutes February 15, 2008 Avoidance & Minimization Measures As discussed in our NEPA/Section 404 Team Meeting on November 15, 2007, in order to minimize the footprints of both proposed NCDOT preferred interchange designs, existing right-of-way was utilized, to the extent practicable The proposed service road alternative, extending Minden Road to intersect with Company Mill Road in R-2612A, is designed almost entirely within existing right-of-way Proposed slopes were increased as much as practicable in both the preferred interchange designs A half-cloverleaf design, instead of a full-diamond interchange design, is proposed for the R-2612B intersection revision, due to the proximity to the I-85 Bypass This design option also reduces the footprint necessary for the R-2612B interchange, thus lessening impacts to both the natural and human environments This interchange location cannot be reasonably revised, since it is the most logical entrance into the Town of Pleasant Garden from US 421 The local officials and area citizens also favor this entrance point into Pleasant Garden Control-of-access is proposed for both of the R-2612A and R- 2612B interchange alternatives Both preferred alternatives use a median with a maximum width of 17 5 feet in the mainline designs As discussed in our field review in Pleasant Garden last month, Roadway Design and the Hydraulics Unit were to investigate the degree of potential cut-slope stabilization and the amount of additional right-of-way required for the relocation of Stream 2, in Quadrant A of the preferred Woody Mill Road interchange In the proposed design of the Neelley Road Interchange, the NEPA/Section 404 Team Members agreed that Roadway Design will investigate lengthening Loop D in an effort to minimize fragmentation impacts to Wetland 9 and Wetland 9B Since our field review for this project, R-2612A, the Woody Mill Interchange alternative, has been reassigned to a consultant firm under the supervision of Marshall Clawson in the NCDOT Hydraulic Unit Marshall informs that the proposed relocation of Stream 2 in R-2612A is not feasible due to potential cut-slope stabilization difficulties and the potential amount of additional right-of-way potentially necessary Additionally, Marshall has requested that Roadway Design remove Ramp A from this interchange alternative and design a Loop in Quadrant B to further avoid and minimize impacts to Stream 2 and to avoid impacts to Wetland 3 in Quadrant A Marshall also requests that we include the remaining Avoidance and Minimization discussion of items from our field review in the 30% Hydraulic Design Review to be held in March 2008, pending the completion Roadway and Hydraulic revisions for mailing information to the NEPA/Section 404 Team Members prior to the meeting Additional Items Currently, an Avoidance & Minimization Meeting is scheduled on Thursday, April 17, 2008, in the NCDOT Boardroom in Raleigh The NEPA/Section 404 Team Members will discuss the proposed avoidance and minimization efforts for Stream 2 and Wetland 3, in the revised Woody Mill Road Interchange design The team will also discuss the proposed impacts to Wetland 9, Wetland 9B and the second crossing of Stream 6, from the revision of Loop D in the proposed Neelley Road Interchange design This meeting may be combined with the 30% Hydraulic Review Meeting next month, pending the completion of Roadway Design and Hydraulic revisions Thank you, to all participants of this field review These minutes summarize the topics discussed during our field review and additional actions since our meeting Please contact me via e-mail or at (919) 733-7844, x-327, with any comments, concerns or revisions to the meeting minutes by Friday, February 29, 2008 R-2612 January 16, 2008 - Field Review Minutes February 15, 2008 cc Kathy Matthews - US Environmental Protection Agency David Wainwright - NCDENR-DWQ Patty Eason, P E - Highway Division 7 Jerry Parker - Highway Division 7 Glen Mumford, P E, - Roadway Design Roy Girolami, P E , - Structure Design Jerry Snead, P E - Hydraulics Unit Marshall Clawson, P E - Hydraulics Unit Don Moore, L G - Geotechnical / GeoEnvironmental Erin Hendee, PE - Congestion Management Rick Lakata, P E - TIP Development Unit Rachelle Beauregard - Project Development and Environmental Analysis, NEU Brad Chilton - Project Development and Environmental Analysis, NEU Ed Lewis - Project Development and Environmental Analysis, HEU Mary Pope Furr - Project Development and Environmental Analysis, HEU Matt Wilkerson - Project Development and Environmental Analysis, HEU Eric Midkiff, P E -Project Development and Environmental Analysis