Draft Report for Historical Studies Survey Neches River Bridge March 2016 Jefferson and Orange Counties CSJ: 7220-01-001 TxDOT Rail Division Hannah Vaughan, Principal Investigator This technical report is produced for the purposes of meeting requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Antiquities Code of Texas, and other cultural resource legislation related to environmental clearance as applicable. Abstract The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) proposes to construct an additional rail bridge over the Neches River parallel to and north of the Kansas City-Southern (KCS) Railway lift bridge in Orange and Jefferson Counties, Texas. The proposed project would also involve construction of a second mainline track to allow for rail crossovers to minimize train and vehicular delays and realign industry connections in downtown Beaumont. The existing Neches River rail bridge would remain in place and would continue to operate (see Figure 1 Project Location Map). The western terminus of the proposed project is located approximately 170 feet north of the intersection of Archie Street and the existing KCS Railway line (Jefferson County), and the eastern terminus is located at Old US 90 just west of Rose City (Orange County). The planned bridge crossing would be constructed just north of the existing railroad bridge. The total length of the proposed project is approximately 1.68 miles. The proposed project would require approximately 2.00 acres of additional right of way and 21.5 acres of temporary easement. The existing Neches River Bridge consists of a single-track, vertical lift span railroad bridge with a single, movable, subdivided Warren through-truss span between two towers. The bridge was constructed in 1941 and serves as the primary east-west rail corridor through the Beaumont area. The lift bridge is operated remotely by the KCS Railway, although operating rights are shared with three other companies, including: the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company, and Amtrak. The proposed rail bridge would be constructed approximately 35 feet north of the centerline of the existing bridge and would be a through-truss lift span bridge. Hicks & Company is under contract with TxDOT to study the project’s potential impacts to historic resources, in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, and to prepare a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental document for this undertaking. Tasks covering non-archeological historic resources include developing a Project Coordination Request (PCR) and Research Design (approved by TxDOT ENV on November 11, 2015), conducting a historic resources reconnaissance field survey, evaluating project effects to historic properties, and preparing a reconnaissance survey report. A total of thirteen historic-age resources were identified in the 150-foot Area of Potential Effects (APE) based on a reconnaissance survey conducted on November 23, 2015. Additionally, two Official Texas Historical Markers (Nancy Tevis and Beaumont: Lumber Mill City of the Nineteenth Century) are pole-mounted and located in the adjacent Riverfront Park within the APE. Report for Historical Studies Survey, Environmental Affairs Division, Texas Department of Transportation. 2 Historians evaluated all historic-age resources according to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) criteria for eligibility and have recommended two resources eligible for listing in the NRHP: the Beaumont Police Department (Resource 1) and the Neches River Bridge (Resource 10). Two additional resources are contributing to the NRHP-listed Beaumont Commercial District (Resources 2 and 3) (see Figure 4.1 Historic-Age Resources Survey Map). Based on an evaluation of project impacts to the recommended-eligible resources, the project is anticipated to have no adverse effects to historic resources. The project is recommended as having a de minimis impact to the recommended NRHP-eligible Beaumont Police Department (Resource 1). Report for Historical Studies Survey, Environmental Affairs Division, Texas Department of Transportation. 3 Project Identification . Date: 03/24/2016 . Date(s) of Fieldwork: 11/23/2015 Historical Studies Survey Type: Constraints Analysis ☐ Reconnaissance Intensive ☐ . Report Version: Draft Final ☐ . Regulatory Jurisdiction: Federal State ☐ . TxDOT Contract Number: 50-41DP5006 . District: Beaumont District (TxDOT Rail Division) . County or Counties: Jefferson and Orange Counties . Highway: Neches River Bridge from Archie Street to Old US 90 . CSJ: 7220-01-001 . Report Author(s): Hannah Vaughan and Elizabeth Porterfield . Principal Investigator: Hannah Vaughan Report for Historical Studies Survey, Environmental Affairs Division, Texas Department of Transportation. 4 Project Description . Project Type: Construction of an additional railroad bridge over the Neches River . Total Project Length: 1.68 miles . New Right of Way (ROW) Acreage: 2.00 acres . Easement Acreage: 21.5 acres Project Description and Impacts: The project area is located in Orange and Jefferson Counties where they meet on the Neches River in the city of Beaumont. The proposed project would construct an additional rail bridge over the Neches River parallel to and north of the existing Kansas City-Southern (KCS) Railway lift bridge (see Figures 2-1 through 2-3 Proposed Bridge Typical Sections). The proposed project would also involve construction of a second mainline track for rail traffic to and from the bridge, as well as construction of crossovers for rail access to and from the original line and to accommodate industry connections in downtown Beaumont (see Figure 3 Proposed Adjacent KCS Mainline Track Typical Sections). The existing rail bridge would remain in place and would continue to operate. The western terminus of the proposed project is located approximately 170 feet north of the intersection of Archie Street and the existing KCS Railway line in Jefferson County; the eastern terminus is located near the Old US 90 alignment just west of Rose City in Orange County (see Figure 1 Project Location Map). The total length of the proposed project is approximately 1.68 miles. The majority of the proposed project would be constructed within the existing railroad right of way. Minimal amounts of new right of way, totalling approximately 2.00 acres, would be acquired at two locations: an area on the west side of the river near the wye connection of the KCS and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railways (between Gilbert Street, Main Street, and Riverfront Park), and a small area near the eastern terminus of the proposed improvements (near Old Highway 90). Four small rail operation structures west of the Neches River, one of which is of historic age, would be removed or relocated in order to construct the proposed improvements. A 21.5-acre temporary easement south of Interstate 10 (I-10) in Orange County would also be required for a laydown yard (see Figure 1). The existing Neches River Bridge was constructed in 1941 and is a single-track, vertical lift bridge with a single, movable, subdivided Warren truss span. The lift span length measures approximately 245 feet between two 73-foot towers. The bridge provides 200 feet of horizontal clearance between channel fenders. The proposed rail bridge would be constructed approximately 35 feet north of the centerline of the existing bridge and would be a through-truss lift span bridge. Preliminary design plans are currently under development. At this time, these plans show that the proposed rail bridge would be supported by cast-in-place concrete piers on drilled shafts. The existing fendering system would be expanded to extend underneath the proposed bridge and would continue to provide 200 feet of Report for Historical Studies Survey, Environmental Affairs Division, Texas Department of Transportation. 5 horizontal clearance between channel fenders. The lift span would extend 320 feet between two 50-foot-wide lift towers. Altogether, the bridge facility would measure approximately 730 feet from abutment to abutment. The east bridge approach would utilize an embankment, while the west bridge approach would utilize either an embankment or a retaining wall in order to minimize impacts to the adjacent Riverfront Park. Area of Potential Effects (APE): The existing ROW ☐ 150’ from proposed ROW and easements 300’ from proposed ROW and easements ☐ Custom: _______ feet from proposed ROW and easements ☐ Project Setting Study Area: Project historians have reviewed the Texas Historical Commission (THC) Historic Sites Atlas, including NRHP, State Antiquities Landmark (SAL), Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL), and Official Texas Historical Marker (OTHM) properties. According to the Atlas, there are two NRHP- listed properties, one NRHP-listed historic district, one SAL, two RTHLs, and nine OTHMs that fall within 1,300 feet of the APE (see Figures 4-1 through 4-4 Historic-Age Resources Survey Map). Some of these resources have more than one designation. An overview of all resources and their respective designations is included in Table 1 below. Two of the OTHMs, the Nancy Tevis marker and the Beaumont: Lumber Mill City of the Nineteenth Century marker, are within the project APE. These pole-mounted markers are located in the adjacent Riverfront Park. One block of the NRHP-listed Beaumont Commercial District, the 900 block of Orleans Street, falls within the 150-foot APE. The updated