FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q)	How will nearby historic and environmental resources be affected by the proposed construction?
A)	One of the challenges of the I-16/I-75 Improvement Project is its proximity to several environmental and community resources. The preferred concept alternative avoids or minimizes impacts to these resources by keeping improvements primarily within the existing right-of-way of I-16/I-75 and by coordinating design activities with on-going projects. In addition, further efforts to minimize and mitigate potential impacts will be incorporated into the detailed design work that is forthcoming. For more details concerning the environmental and historic resources adjacent to the I-16/I-75 interchange improvements, click here.
Q)	How will this project address noise issues?
A)	A noise impact analysis is being prepared as part of the Environmental Assessment in accordance with Federal guidelines. As part of this analysis, the GDOT project team will assess the current and future noise conditions in the project vicinity and determine which residences and businesses meet the Federal criteria for properties “impacted” by noise. GDOT will then provide noise abatement to impacted residences and businesses in accordance with Federal guidelines.
Q)	When will the construction begin? When will it be completed?
A)	Due to the size and complexity of this project, several years have been dedicated for design activities and environmental coordination. The first phase of the project, the I-16 / Coliseum Drive Interchange, is currently scheduled to begin construction in 2007. Construction for all phases of the project should be complete by 2012.
Q)	Will this project address Macon’s flooding problems?
A)	A majority of the proposed roadways and bridges for this project are located within the Ocmulgee River floodplain as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA). All Federal Aid Highway projects are required to comply with standards set forth by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) concerning floodplain encroachment. Engineering efforts will include hydrology studies for the Ocmulgee River, design modifications as necessary, and possible mitigation efforts to ensure river flood levels do not increase above present conditions. Also, permitting will be required through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for any construction activities that encroach on the Ocmulgee River floodway. Impacts to the floodplain will be of the utmost importance to the design team.
Q)	Will the proposed interstate improvements allow for future relocation of the Norfolk Southern Railroad?
A)	In March 2000, members of the I-16/I-75 Citizen’s Advisory Committee requested that the project team investigate alternative interstate/interchange designs that would not preclude future relocation of the Norfolk Southern “H” line. This rail line is currently located adjacent to the Ocmulgee River between the I-16/I-75 interchange and Coliseum Drive. Between March 2000 and November 2001, the GDOT project team coordinated with the City of Macon, Bibb County, Newtown Macon, Norfolk Southern, and the Georgia Rail Passenger Authority (GRPA) in an effort to integrate rail relocation with the proposed interstate improvements. Following feasibility studies prepared by both Moreland Altobelli Associates, Inc. (GDOT’s design consultant) and Joseph Passonneau & Partners (a transportation consultant retained by Newtown Macon), the City of Macon and the Bibb County Commission recommended that the interchange project proceed without provisions for rail relocation.
Q)	Have alternatives been investigated to divert traffic away from this corridor?
A)	The need for improvements to the I-16/I-75 interchange was initially determined by the Macon-area local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) as part of a planning process that included analysis of alternatives and public meetings. The primary purpose of this project is to correct the operational deficiencies that currently exist on the interstate corridor through downtown Macon. Although constructing alternative transportation routes could relieve traffic congestion within the project corridor to some degree, the operational improvements provided by this project would still be necessary. Please contact your local MPO for more information regarding planning for future transportation projects.
Q)	Were other transportation projects, such as the proposed Eisenhower Parkway, taken into account during the planning for this project?
A)	Changes in traffic patterns and traffic volumes as a result of projects included in the Regional Transportation Improvement Plan (RTIP), including the proposed Eisenhower Parkway Extension, have been incorporated into the traffic model for the I-16/I-75 interchange improvement project.
Q)	Will any property be taken by this project?
A)	The current design will impact several properties within the Pleasant Hill community. The final number and location of displacements will be determined following additional coordination with the Pleasant Hill neighborhood.

ACRONYMS AND TERMINOLOGY .

AADT	Annual Average Daily Traffic. The average daily traffic averaged over a full year. This value is often used for forecasting and planning highway projects.
AASHTO	American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Most notable of AASHTO’s publications is “A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets” otherwise referred to as the “Green Book”. Several state DOT’s, including Georgia, have adopted the AASHTO Green Book as the reference guide for highway design. For more information, please visit AASHTO’s website at www.aashto.org
ADA	Americans with Disabilities Act
ADT	Average Daily Traffic
BMP’s	Best Management Practices. Erosion and pollution control practices employed during construction to protect surface waters and/or wetlands from construction activities.
C-D Road	Collector-Distributor Road. A Collector-Distributor is a roadway that provides ingress/egress to successive crossroads that are too closely spaced to provide safe access directly to the interstate mainline. A Collector-Distributor is typically constructed parallel to the mainline and separated by either a grassed median or a concrete barrier.
CE	Categorical Exclusion. The lowest level of environmental documentation required under NEPA. It is a checklist with supporting documents as necessary.
Clear Zone	Total roadside border area, starting at the edge of the traveled way, available for safe use by errant vehicles.
Degree of Curve	The measure of the rate of change in horizontal alignment. Simply put, the higher degree of curve, the sharper the horizontal curve.
Design Year	The year in the future for which a transportation facility is designed to operate. Highway projects are designed to meet traffic projections for 20 years following construction. In addition, design year projections are made for air quality and noise.
Detention Basin	Stormwater management structure that temporarily detains runoff and discharges it through a hydraulic outlet structure to a stream or receiving water.
Easement	A tract of land necessary for the construction and/or maintenance of slopes, drainage, or other structures not contained within the right-of-way. The property owner retains ownership of land necessary for easements.
EA	Environmental Assessment. A mid-level environmental document under NEPA. It requires early coordination and much greater detail than a CE because it is required on larger more complex projects.
EIS	Environmental Impact Statement. The highest level of environmental documentation under NEPA. It is not often done unless an EA indicates that a project has serious adverse impacts.
EPD	Environmental Protection Division of the GADNR. Responsible for water quality, implementation of the state Sedimentation and Erosion Control Act of 1975, and the management of landfills throughout the state.
FEMA	Federal Emergency Management Agency. Prepares maps of flood hazard areas and administers the National Flood Insurance Program.
FHWA	Federal Highway Administration
Flood, 100-Year	The flood water elevation that has a 1% probability of being exceeded in any given year.
Floodplain, 100-year	The area inundated by the 100-year flood.
Floodway	The channel of a river or stream plus any adjacent floodplain areas that must be kept free of encroachment (i.e. fill or structures) to avoid increasing 100-year flood elevation by more than one foot.
Fly-Over	The elevated portion of a ramp that crosses over several ramps or roadways.
FONSI	Finding of No Significant Impact. Final document in the NEPA process when an EA is complete.
GADNR	Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The SHPO, HPD, EPD, and the NHP are all within this department.
Gore	A traversable area between diverging roadways. For safety purposes, this area is typically paved for several hundred feet.
Grade	The longitudinal slope of a road, channel or natural ground. The finished surface of a canal bed, road bed, top of embankment or bottom of excavation. Any surface prepared for the support of such things as conduit paving, ties or rails.
Limited Access	A roadway with ingress and egress fully controlled through the use of grade – separated interchanges. Direct access via intersecting cross streets and business or residential driveways is prohibited.
LOS	Level of Service. A rating of roadway traffic congestion with designations "A" through "F". LOS "A" indicates absence of congestion or free traffic flow at design speed, while LOS "F" indicates a congested condition where traffic flow is seriously restricted and travel speeds are significantly below design speed.
Logical Termini	The beginning and ending points of a highway project. For Federal Aid Projects, the project must have independent utility and not require construction by other projects to achieve the project need and purpose.
Median	The area between the inside pavement edge of opposing travel lanes.
NEPA	National Environmental Policy Act. Requires every federal agency to review the effect of its actions on the natural and man-made environment.
MPO	Metropolitan Planning Organization
MUTCD	Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
ROW or R/W	Right-of-Way. Land owned in Fee (all land rights) for the construction and maintenance of roadways.
Section 4(f)	Required by the FHWA when land will be taken from a National Evaluation Register property or a National Register eligible property or land used for public recreation for a federally funded road.
Section 404	The section of the Clean Water Act that gives the USACE the authority to regulate activities in wetlands.
Sedimentation Basin	A basin or tank in which floodwater or stormwater is retained to remove suspended matter by settling.
SHPO	State Historic Preservation Officer. The person appointed by the governor to manage historic preservation and compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA in the state. The SHPO manages the HPD and is normally a party to all MOAs.
Slope	Relative steepness of the terrain expressed as a ratio or percentage. Slopes may be categorized as positive (backslopes) or negative (foreslopes) and as parallel or cross slopes in relation to the direction of traffic.
Superelevation	The pavement cross slope measured between lane edges.
Swale	A slight depression in the ground surface where water collects, and which may be transported as a stream.
TIP	Transportation Improvement Program. Road projects must be in this program to be considered for construction.
Traveled Way	Portion of the roadway for the movement of vehicles, exclusive of shoulders.
Typical Section	A drawing or description of the cross section of a road. This would usually define right-of-way limits, pavement widths, shoulder widths, ditches, medians, etc.
USACE, COE or USCOE	Army Corps of Engineers. Responsible for the implementation of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act dealing with wetlands.
USEPA	The United States Environmental Protection Agency. Has the final say in wetland permits and can reverse decisions of the USACE.
Value Engineering	Value Engineering is a technique used to evaluate life cycle costs of engineering projects. It is a standard activity undertaken by GDOT for major design projects that recommends potential cost saving opportunities to the project design team.
Weaving	The crossing of two or more traffic streams traveling in the same direction along a significant length of highway without the aid of traffic control devices. Weaving segments are formed when a merge area is closely followed by a diverge area, or when an on-ramp is closely followed by an off-ramp and the two are joined by an auxiliary lane.
Wetland Delineation	A survey conducted by a qualified person to determine the extent of wetland and the types of wetland that would be impacted by a project. To be a jurisdictional wetland, a wetland must exhibit hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and wetland hydrology.