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CASE STUDY:SH 249: FM 1774 TO SH 105John Moravec; Bryan District

Ryan Robol; Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc.

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Introduction

New Location State Highway (SH) 249 in Grimes County

– Connect with the proposed ultimate four-mainlane, controlled-access tollway extension of SH 249 from Pinehurst to Todd Mission

– Proposed 10-mile tolled, controlled-access Super 2 roadway with approximately five miles of frontage road

– Project addressed safety; existing, future and seasonal traffic congestion; transportation system linkage and emergency evacuation routes

– Right of Way varied between 623 and 658 acres with a typical width of 450 feet in areas with frontage roads and 400 feet in areas without frontage roads

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Introduction Continued

– State funded Design-Build Project

– Document Classification- Environmental Assessment

– Extensive public involvement with stakeholders, adjacent land owners and public

– FONSI Sept. 9, 2016

– Next Stage of Project Development... with a fraction of ROE obtained

– Project Team meeting every two weeks

– Pre-application meeting with USACE October 3, 2016

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Wetland Fieldwork – “Normal” Process

“Normal” Process for Wetland Fieldwork

– Pre-Task Planning – Desktop Reviews

– Existing ROW – Good to Go… Collect Data!

– Proposed ROW – Obtain ROE… Collect Data!

– Ideally, review existing and proposed concurrently with one mobilization

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Wetland Fieldwork – SH 249 Challenges

“249 Challenges”

– Public opposition to project

• Landowners do not willfully issue ROE

• Some landowners issue Conditional ROE

– Challenge to schedule fieldwork around landowner schedules and travels

• Other landowners call the sheriff on you

– Piecemeal approach for collecting data

• Data Collection Started in November 2016

– ROE available for 17 out of 32 parcels

– ~40% of total land area

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Assessing Risk

Two-tiered approach

– Collect Field Data where ROE Available

– Conduct Detailed Desktop Review where ROE NOT Available

• Review EA: 13 stream crossings identified in entire project

• Thorough Desktop Review

– USGS Topo Maps, Historic Aerial Imagery, DTM Elevation, EMST Vegetation, NRCS Soils, NWI Wetlands

– 26 potential stream crossings identified in areas without ROE

– Width/Length for allstreams in ROW was estimated to calculate potential impact

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Assessing Risk

To IP or not to IP, That is the Question…– Database maintained for field and desktop data

– Allowed Project Team to quickly and efficiently view the status of the delineation and identify “high-risk” crossings (i.e., where are NWP thresholds exceeded?)

• Field Verified Data

– Allowed for project team to take a closer look at avoidance/minimization measures/make real time design adjustments

• Desktop Data

– Allowed project team to prioritize land acquisition/ROE activities based on presence of potential “high-risk” crossings

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Assessing Risk – Fieldwork Results

Field Evaluation of Beason Creek and Vicinity

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Image Date: September 2017

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Assessing Risk – Fieldwork Results

Houston, We Have a Problem… (Wetland 4/5!)

Wetland 4

Impacts:More than 1.0 acre at Wetland 4

Fill for roadway/embankmentMore than 400 LF at Beason Creek

Box Culvert IP is Required for this Crossing!

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Image Date: September 2017

Wetland 5

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Assessing Risk – Fieldwork Results

Houston, We Have a Problem… (Wetland 4!)

Wetland 4

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Image Date: March 2015

Wetland 5

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Assessing Risk – Fieldwork Results

Houston, We Have a MASSIVE WETLAND COMPLEX!

Wetland 4

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Image Date: March 2015

Wetland 5

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Assessing Risk – Fieldwork Results

Houston, We Have a Unique Ecological Habitat… Hillslope Seepage Wetland!

EL. 360 ftEL. 337 ft

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Implementing Solutions

Houston, We Have a SOLUTION to MINIMIZE IMPACTS!

Wetland 4

Bridge Start

Bridge End

Design Changes Implemented: Shift alignment to west

Cross Beason Creek at 90° Add 2,000-foot bridge to span

wetlands & Beason Creek Avoid discharge of fill into

wetlands & waters Impacts no longer exceed IP thresholds

at this crossing… NWP14 can be pursued!!

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Image Date: March 2015

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Assessing Risk

A Second Example: Design Changes Resulting from Fieldwork Results

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Image Date: March 2015

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Assessing Risk – Fieldwork Results

A Second Example: Fieldwork Results

Wetland & Stream

Complex

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Image Date: March 2015

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Implementing Solutions

A Second Example: Design Changes

Wetland & Stream

Complex

Bridge Start

Bridge End

Design Changes Implemented: Add 2,300-foot bridge to span

wetlands & Tributary to Beason Creek

Avoid discharge of fill into wetlands & waters

Impacts no longer exceed IP thresholds at this crossing… NWP14 can be pursued!!

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Image Date: March 2015

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Takeaways

Adding Bridges INCREASES Construction costs… BUT…

Avoiding & Minimizing Impacts DECREASES Mitigation Costs

Cost – Benefit Analysis! • Adding Bridges/Minimizing Impacts Reduced the total project cost

Benefits Realized– Unique Resources are Protected

– Permit Processing is Streamlined

– Cost savings to the State

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Current SH 249 Grimes County

New Location State Highway (SH) 249 in Grimes County

– Design Build Project to connect with the proposed ultimate four-mainlane, controlled-access tollway extension of SH 249 from Pinehurst to Todd Mission

– Proposed 10-mile non-tolled, controlled-access by design, two-lane roadway with 10ft shoulders and no frontage roads, no grade separated interchanges, no westbound SH 105 Direct Connector (DC) to southbound SH 249 and combined the two DC structures on the west side of the SH 105 intersection into a single bridge structure

– Changes in the alignment occurred to avoid certain ROW impacts, wetlands and other sensitive environmental features

– Right of Way acreage was reduced by approximately 22 acres

– Open House Public Meeting January 25, 2018

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Current SH 249 Grimes County Continued

– Pre-application update meeting February 15, 2018

– ROW acquisition continues for priority parcels

– 404 Permit Delineations to be completed along with Permit Application

– EA Re-evaluation July 27, 2018

– Anticipate permit early 2019

– SH 249 websites:

– https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/bryan/sh249.html

– http://txsh249.com/

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