On behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive archeological survey on February 23, 2018, of a potential bridge replacement consisting of approximately 1.5 acres of existing right-of-way (ROW) along Boyce Lane over Harris Branch in Travis County, Texas. Because the project will receive funding from the Federal Highways Administration, it qualifies as an undertaking as defined in Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 800.16(y) and, therefore, the work was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S. Code 306108). Furthermore, the project must also comply with the Antiquities Code of Texas (9 Natural Resources Code 191). Jon Budd served as Principal Investigator under Texas Antiquities Code Permit No. 8298.
The total area of potential effects (APE) is defined as the existing 100-foot-wide Boyce Lane ROW extending 175 feet north and 200 feet south of the Harris Branch channel centerline, encompassing approximately 1.5 acres. Depth of impact is estimated to be up to 40 feet below the current ground surface for the bridge supports and up to 10 feet for the remainder of the project.
Background research identified that one previous archeological survey covered a portion of the project area, but no archeological sites, cemeteries, or known historic resources were within or immediately adjacent to the review area.
The field investigation of the proposed project APE consisted of an intensive pedestrian survey with shovel testing. Mechanical trenching was originally proposed, but existing utilities on both sides of the ROW and large fill sections precluded trenching. The existing ROW is heavily disturbed by existing roadway and associated bridge construction activities; in addition, the APE is almost entirely within existing fill sections. The investigations identified no archeological resources within the APE. SWCA has made a reasonable and good faith effort to locate and identify historic properties as per 36 CFR Part 800.4(b)(1), and cultural resources as per Subchapter A of Chapter 26 of the Texas Administrative Code throughout the proposed project APE. Based on the results of the survey, SWCA recommends a finding of “no historic properties affected,” and no further archeological investigations are recommended within the APE
