Final Report - VHB.com

Limited environmental resources are located adjacent to US Route 201. Thus, the
roadway improvements associated with Option 5 would have a minor impact on
them, primarily associated with the proposed realignment of the US Route 201/Old
Augusta Road intersection and a new connector road linking US Route 201 and
Canam Drive. The relative impacts of these options are discussed in the following
subsections.
Environmental Resources
Intersection and roadway improvements for Option 1 are limited to the existing
ROW of State Route 196 (Lewiston Road) and therefore would have negligible
impacts to environmental resources.
Wetlands impacts associated with Options 2 and 2A would be relatively minor, with
Option 2 requiring about 1.3 acres of wetlands impact (including four stream
crossings) and Option 2A totaling less than 0.1 acre (only one stream crossing).
Construction of the connector roads for Options 3 and 3A would require additional
wetlands filling associated with a perennial stream that receives flow from a
stormwater ditch originating at Mt. Ararat High School. (Additional wetlands
impacts would result from the widening of the State Route 196 Coastal Connector to
four lanes [i.e., Option 4]). The area of wetlands impact for the two options would be
almost identical, with Options 3 and 3A resulting in 2.5 and 2.6 acres of impact,
respectively. Additionally, both options would require as many as 13 stream
crossings impacting a total of as much as quarter-mile of stream channel. Option 4
would impact approximately 1.3 acres, or approximately 50 percent fewer wetlands
than Options 3 and 3A.
Approximately 0.2 acre of forested wetlands and emergent ditch would be impacted
by the realignment of intersection with US Route 201 and Old Augusta Road (Option
5). Only the northern edge of the wetlands would be impacted by construction;
minimal impact is expected because most of the wetlands is located to the south.
Impacts to streams are not anticipated.
There are no floodplains located in the Strategy 2A Study Area. The eastern portion
of the Strategy 2A Study Area is underlain by a sand and gravel aquifer. The
widening associated with State Route 196 (Option 4) would impact approximately 4.8
acres of this aquifer.
Options 3 and 3A would both impact 4.1 acres of prime farmland soils, as designated
by the NRCS, and approximately 10.5 acres of farmland soil of statewide importance.
Of the 4.1 acres of impact to prime farmland soils, 3.6 acres would be associated with
the widening of State Route 196. Impacts to prime farmland soils would be
minimized by Option 2, whereas only 1.6 acres of farmland soil of statewide
importance would be impacted. A large mowed field located east of the existing
Conclusions 152