U-5802 - 4-17-19 CP1 Merger Meeting Summary (5-7-19)

N V 5 CALYX
ENGINEERS+ CONSULTANTS
MEMO
To: Kim Gillespie, NCDOT Project Management Unit
cc: Meeting Attendees
6750 Tryon Road
Cary, NC 27518
P: 919.836.4800
F: 919.836.4801
CALYXengineers.com I NV5.com
From: Bobby Norburn, CALYX Engineers and Consultants, an NV5 Company
Date: May 7, 2019
Re: NEPA/Section 404 Merger Concurrence Point 1 Meeting for Proposed Spring Lake Bypass
from NC 210 (Murchison Road) to NC 24-87 (Bragg Boulevard) in Spring Lake, Cumberland
County; NCDOT STIP Project U-5802.
The U-5802 (Proposed Spring Lake Bypass) Concurrence Point 1 (CP1) Merger Team Meeting was held on
April 17, 2019 in the Structure Design Conference Room at NCDOT Century Center. The purpose of the
meeting was for the Merger Team to reach concurrence on CP1 for the proposed Spring Lake Bypass. CP1
Merger Meeting attendees are listed below. A summary of the meeting follows.
MEETING ATTENDEES
Resource Aaencies
Liz Hair US Army Corps of Engineers (by phone)
Gary Jordan US Fish and Wildlife Service
Amanetta Somerville US Environmental Protection Agency (by phone)
Joanne Steenhuis NC Division of Water Resources
Travis Wilson NC Wildlife Resources Commission
NCDOT
Gordon Cashin
Environmental Analysis Unit
Hardee Cox
STIP Unit
Jim Dunlop
Congestion Management
Kim Gillespie
Project Management Unit
Nicole Hackler
Project Management Unit
Steve Kendall
Division 6
Douglas Kretchman
Roadway Design
Harrison Marshall
Environmental Analysis Unit
Colin Mellor
Environmental Policy Unit
Jim Rerko
Division 6
Mark Staley
Roadside Environmental Unit (by phone)
Tatia White
Roadway Design
Consultants
Kiersten Bass
WSP
Steve Browde
CALYX
Liz Kovasckitz
CALYX
Bobby Norburn
CALYX
Emily Robinson
WSP
Peter Trencansky
Patriot Transportation Engineering

Proposed Spring Lake Bypass (U-5802)
CP1 Merger Team Meeting
April 17, 2019
MEETING NOTES
Nicole Hackler welcomed attendees and asked for introductions. She then turned the meeting over to Bobby
Norburn to conduct the U-5802 CP1 presentation. The following items were discussed during the meeting.
Study Area
Travis Wilson asked if consideration had been given to expanding the study area to the west to include
possible roadway improvements west of existing Bragg Boulevard. Jim Dunlop responded improvements to
the west are not being evaluated as part of this project because they would not serve the intended purpose,
would impact Fort Bragg, and are not what the Town of Spring Lake wants. He added that Fort Bragg was
evaluating other improvements to the west to serve the base. Mr. Norburn noted improvements to the west
of Bragg Boulevard also would not serve future traffic needs on NC 210. It was mentioned the Town's
municipal limits are served by using some existing roads in the STIP alignment for the Bypass. Ms. Hackler
noted the project has historically been referred to as the Spring Lake "Loop," but it was programmed as a
"bypass" with internal connections to the Town's roadway network. Mr. Wilson said based on the work of the
process improvement team, study area identification reasoning should be well documented by this point in
the project development process.
Purpose and Need
Amanetta Somerville asked what the intended future intersection level of service (LOS) is for the proposed
project. Mr. Norburn responded that although it is not included in the purpose and need, the goal for the
future Build analysis is LOS D or better. Liz Hair said a quantifiable measure of improvement is needed as part
of the purpose and need, such as a targeted intersection LOS or a specific reduction in overall delay (e.g.,
reducing intersection delay time by 50 percent), otherwise all alternatives would be valid. Mr. Wilson said he
has concerns with establishing a targeted LOS because this can lead to making more extensive improvements
than are needed for a given project, thereby increasing human and natural environment impacts. Ms. Hackler
said NCDOT has been trying to move away from establishing a targeted LOS because of the issues
mentioned by Mr. Wilson. Ms. Somerville responded a targeted LOS or percentage improvement needs to
be included in the purpose and need. Mr. Dunlop added the future Build analysis goal is typically LOS D, but
that can be too optimistic for some projects. He indicated he does not typically like to include specifics with
respect to LOS improvement in the purpose and need.
Joanne Steenhuis said if all of the Build alternatives meet the purpose and need, then the LEDPA would be
selected based on the alternative with the least impacts. There was agreement the Build alternatives should
be evaluated regarding the level of improvements provided, and the LEDPA selected based on which
alternative meets the purpose and need while causing the least impacts. Mr. Dunlop noted the impacts of the
Build alternatives will be able to be discussed in more detail at Concurrence Point 2 (CP2). Ms. Somerville
said she would not be able to sign the CP1 signature form without including a quantitative performance
measure for improving traffic operations in the purpose and need. Gary Jordan asked if improving existing
Bragg Boulevard would be a realistic outcome of the future Build traffic operations analysis. Ms. Somerville
noted minor improvements to the existing facility are preferable to building a roadway on new location.
Mr. Jordan added improving the existing facility might only lead to improved LOS F's at the intersections
along the corridor. Mr. Dunlop responded NCDOT is considering all potential options for meeting the
purpose and need.
After further discussion, the following text was added to the draft purpose and need statement to address
agency concerns: "A potential measure of performance for improving traffic operations is level of service
(LOS). NCDOT has established a target LOS D for system level planning analysis. The results of further
analysis will be reviewed at or prior to Concurrence Point 2 to determine if this is a reasonable target for this
project." Mr. Jordan and Mr. Wilson suggested that the Corps, USEPA and NCDOT need to meet separately
to discuss the issue of including quantitative performance measures in purpose and need statements for
future projects.

Proposed Spring Lake Bypass (U-5802)
CP1 Merger Team Meeting
April 17, 2019
Ms. Hackler asked if the Merger Team had any additional feedback on the updated purpose and need
statement. Ms. Hair and Ms. Somerville indicated they agreed with the updated purpose and need.
Ms. Somerville added she would also like the meeting summary to indicate we will re-evaluate the purpose
and need statement at CP2 once the results of the Build traffic operations analysis have been completed.
Ms. Hackler asked if the Merger Team approved of the revised purpose and need statement, as well as the
proposed study area, as shown on the updated CP1 signature form (attached). The Merger Team indicated
concurrence on the updated signature form. There were no further comments.
General Discussion
• It was noted that the although NCDOT's Draft 2020-2029 STIP indicates construction is scheduled to
begin in Fiscal Year (FY) 2028, the Final STIP will show construction beginning in FY 2029.
• Mr. Dunlop noted the improved LOS at the Bragg Boulevard/Manchester Road intersection in future year
2040 as shown in the "Signalized Intersection LOS Analysis" table is due to the expected completion of
the Manchester Road interchange.
• Mr. Jordan said he will be curious to see the how the new location alternative will perform, particularly
considering it would be in proximity to a well -managed RCW population. Mr. Dunlop responded the
future Build analysis will look at whether improving existing Bragg Boulevard meets the purpose and
need.
• Mr. Norburn reviewed the next steps in the project development process. In particular, the Build traffic
analysis is scheduled to be completed in August 2019, and the CP2 Merger Team meeting is expected to
be conducted in early 2020.
Action Items
• CALYX will send the CP1 signature form to the Merger Team for signature via Docusign. CALYX will also
send an email to the Merger Team to provide advance notice of the Docusign document transmission.
CORRECTIONS & OMISSIONS: This summary is the writer's interpretation of the events, discussions, and
transactions that took place during the meeting. If there are any additions and/or corrections, please inform
Kim Gillespie at [e-mail] or the author in writing within 10 days.
cc: Meeting attendees
File 2014062.09

DocuSign Envelope ID: 45923DFF-DF79-4CE2-980C-550BB19A2527
4-17-19
Section 404/NEPA Interagency Agreement
Concurrence Point No. 1
Project Purpose and Need and Study Area Defined
Project Title: Proposed Spring Lake Bypass from NC 210 (Murchison Road) to NC 24-87
(Bragg Boulevard in Spring Lake, Cumberland County
STIP Project No.: U-5802
WBS No.: 44374.1.1
Protect Study Area: The project study area is shown on Figure 1 of the meeting handout. The
study area was identified to include the proposed 2018-2027 STIP alignment for the Spring Lake
Bypass, as well as potential alternative corridors for the Bypass. It also includes the section of
NC 24-87 (N. Bragg Boulevard) that would likely need to be improved under the Improve
Existing Roads alternative.
Protect Purpose: The purposes of the proposed project are to: improve traffic flow and level of
service on existing roadway facilities within the Town of Spring Lake; improve roadway system
connectivity in the project study area as called for in local and regional planning documents;
and improve traffic operations on NC 87 through the project study area so it can better serve its
functions as part of North Carolina's Strategic Transportation Corridor (STC) System (Corridor K)
and the U.S. Department of Defense's STRAHNET system. A potential measure of performance
for improving traffic operations is level of service (LOS). NCDOT has established a target LOS D
for system level planning analysis. The results of further analysis will be reviewed at or prior to
Concurrence Point 2 to determine if this is a reasonable target for this project.
The Project Team has concurred on the above -mentioned Project Study Area and Project
Purpose for U-5802.
Signature/ Agency Date
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Spring Lake Bypass (U-5802) CP 1 Merger Meeting Handout