The Walla Walla County Public Works Department planned safety improvements at the intersection of J.B. George Road/Peppers Bridge Road in Walla Walla County, Washington. The project includes the reconstruction and widening of J.B. George Road and Peppers Bridge Road to provide paved shoulders with a clear zone, as well as installation of high reflective traffic signs. The existing road has a total width of 18 feet with no shoulders. Project plans include widening the roads to 34 feet to include 12-foot travel lanes and 5-foot shoulders.
The project is funded through the Federal Highway Administration. The Washington State Department of Transportation Highways and Local Programs Division is assisting the County and acting on behalf of the FHWA in processing federal environmental compliance documentation. As this is a federally funded project, the potential impacts to historic properties must be considered prior to implementation, as per Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
Background research revealed one previously recorded archaeological resource and five previously conducted cultural resource surveys in the vicinity of the project. The Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation’s predictive model places the Project Area within an area of very high risk for encountering cultural resources. No Native American or historic-era cultural materials or features were observed during the pedestrian survey and shovel probing of the J.B. George Road/Peppers Bridge Road Project. The proposed undertaking will result in No Historic Properties Affected, and no further archaeological investigations were recommended prior to, or during, execution of this project.
Location: Walla Walla County, Washington
