HOUSTONHOUSTON LEVEELEVEE ROADROAD // CENTERCENTER HILLHILL ROADROAD ALTERNATIVESALTERNATIVES STUDYSTUDY PREPARED FOR: THE MEMPHIS URBAN AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION IN COOPERATION WITH: SHELBY COUNTY, TN DESOTO COUNTY, MS TOWN OF COLLIERVILLE & CITY OF OLIVE BRANCH NOVEMBER, 2010 Final Report HOUSTON LEVEE ROAD / CENTER HILL ROAD ALTERNATIVES STUDY November, 2010 By Parsons For the Memphis Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, In cooperation with: DeSoto County, Mississippi Shelby County, Tennessee The City of Olive Branch The Town of Collierville This document was prepared and published by the Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization and is prepared in cooperation with or with financial assistance from all or several of the following public entities: the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Tennessee and Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Memphis Area Transit Authority, and the local governments in the MPO region. This financial assistance notwithstanding, the contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the official view or policies of the funding agencies. It is the policy of the Memphis Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) not to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, national origin or disability in its hiring or employment practices, or in its admission to or operations of its program, services, or activities. All inquiries for Title VI and/or the American Disabilities Act, contact Paul Morris at 901-379-7849 or [email protected]. HOUSTON LEVEE ROAD / CENTER HILL ROAD ALTERNATIVES STUDY Table of Contents Section Page Executive Summary .....................................................................................................S-1 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 Existing Houston Levee Road ..................................................................... 1 Study Area ................................................................................................... 3 2 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................11 3 Study Process .......................................................................................................12 Oversight and Community Involvement .....................................................13 Study Progress .............................................................................................16 Alternatives ..................................................................................................19 Issues and Concerns ....................................................................................23 4 Anticipated Traffic Operations ............................................................................25 Trucks …………………………………….. ...............................................27 5 Environmental Concerns ........................................................................................30 Creeks and Streams .....................................................................................31 Wetlands Considerations .............................................................................32 Floodplains ..................................................................................................33 Wildlife ........................................................................................................33 Social Environment .....................................................................................34 Cultural Issues .............................................................................................37 6 Engineering Issues ...............................................................................................38 Typical Section ............................................................................................38 Roadway Design ..........................................................................................40 Bridges .........................................................................................................40 Terrain .........................................................................................................42 Estimated Costs ...........................................................................................42 Other Modes ................................................................................................42 Future Development ....................................................................................44 7 Potential Funding Sources ...................................................................................44 8 Findings................................................................................................................45 Feasibility Criteria .......................................................................................47 Remarks .......................................................................................................47 9 Next Steps ............................................................................................................48 i H OUSTON LEVEE ROAD / CENTER HILL ROAD ALTERNATIVES STUDY Figures Figure Page Figure S.1 Study Area ...............................................................................................S-2 Figure S.2 All Alignments Considered .....................................................................S-6 Figure S.3 Alternatives Taken Forward ....................................................................S-8 Figure 1.1 Vicinity Map ........................................................................................... 2 Figure 1.2 Study Area ............................................................................................... 4 Figure 3.1 Alignment Suggestions from the Public ..................................................14 Figure 3.2 All Alternatives Considered ....................................................................17 Figure 3.3 Alternatives Taken Forward ....................................................................20 Figure 4.1 No-build Traffic ......................................................................................26 Figure 4.2 Build Alternatives 1 or 2 Average Daily Traffic and Levels of Service .....................................................................................28 Figure 4.3 Build Alternative 3 Average Daily Traffic and Levels of Service .....................................................................................29 Figure 5.1 Census Blocks .........................................................................................36 Figure 6.1 Typical Sections ......................................................................................40 Tables Table Page Table S.1 Comparative Matrix ................................................................................S-9 Table 1.1 Existing Houston Levee Road Route Sections ........................................ 3 Table 3.1 Comparative Matrix ................................................................................21 Table 4.1 Levels of Service at Key Intersections ....................................................27 Table 5.1 Minority Populations ...............................................................................35 Table 6.1 Estimated Costs .......................................................................................42 Table 8.1 Comparative Matrix ................................................................................46 Table 8.2 Collierville Planning Commission’s Rankings .......................................45 Appendices Appendix A Appendix B ii Executive Summary HOUSTON LEVEE ROAD / CENTER HILL ROAD ALTERNATIVES STUDY 1. Introduction This study was undertaken to consider the need for and feasibility of extending Houston Levee Road southward from Shelby Drive (SR 175) in Shelby County to Goodman Road (MS 302) in DeSoto County. As part of the feasibility study, Preliminary Alignments were prepared and evaluated. This was done so that the study would simultaneously serve as a Location Study of potential routes for the proposed facility. The study area is shown in Figure S.1. Study Area South of the intersection of Houston Levee Road with Shelby Drive there is an area of mixed residential and agricultural uses that stretches south to the Coldwater River. The study area is bounded on the north by Shelby Drive and on the south by Goodman Road. The western boundary of the study area is the vicinity of Center Hill Road. The eastern boundary was originally stated as the DeSoto-Marshall County line. After consideration, this was changed to include the first section in Marshall County. Houston Levee Road/ Center Hill Road S-1 Final Report Alternatives Study November, 2010 Legend PO PLA Study Area R AVE WINCHESTER RD State Line County Line D R E ® E V 385 E × L 385 N × O T S U O SHELBY DRIVE Ó175 H D E R E V D S A N R D E L G A R I O I N L I N L A M Y L H I E E Y L H R F HOLMES RD B T S E R O F SHELBY COUNTY TENNESSEE MISSISSIPPI STATELINE RD Y LOONEY RD Y T T N N D U R U 309 O L ·Æ O KIRK RD L C I C H L L R TO E A T O H N S S E E C DESOTO RD R D A M GOODMAN RD ·Æ302 ·Æ302 D R O T HOUSTON LEVEE ROAD / O S CENTER HILL ROAD E ALTERNATIVES STUDY D N O STUDY AREA T R A FIGURE S.1 B Land Use The Tennessee portion of the study area is located entirely within Collierville or the Collierville Reserve Area. In the