FEMA Public Notice for the Bethabara Road Infrastructure Project

The City of Winston-Salem has applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Program funding through North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) as a sub- recipient.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990, FEMA is required to consider alternatives, and to provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. EO 12898 also requires FEMA to provide the opportunity for public participation in the planning process and to consider potential impacts to minority and low-income populations. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.

Sub-Applicant: City of Winston-Salem

Project Title: 90986-Edgebrook and Bethabara Road Infrastructure Repairs; PA-04-NC-4412-PW-00172

Location of Proposed Work:

Special Flood Hazard Area Zone:

This project is for the repairs to a section of Bethabara Rd and to stabilize the adjacent road embankment. All work is located in an AE Zone Floodway. Confirmation of location in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) was determined by the Forsyth County Flood Insurance Rate Map, Panel Number: 3710681700J, dated 1/02/2009. The proposed work conforms to all applicable State of North Carolina and local floodplain regulations. There is a potential for the facility to be impacted by future flooding events due to its location within the AE Zone Floodway. The proposed work will not take place in wetlands per the United States Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory and will have little potential to impact or affect wetland values.

Proposed Work and Purpose:

The City of Winston-Salem will repair the road and the erosion undermining roadway shoulders, improve vehicle recovery area, install new traffic barriers, eliminate the unsafe road conditions, and prevent future roadway shoulder erosion. Guard rails will be installed and will require appropriate roadway shoulders, armoring a section of the embankment, constructing water flow retardants, filling washed out embankment areas, and reshaping/regrading the full length of the stream adjacent to the road. This road is one of the main roads passing through this part of the city; and as such, its continued function is important for the traveling public to use safely without altering traffic patterns.

Project Alternatives:

Alternative #1 (No action): The ’no action’ alternative would ultimately result in a negative impact on the community. If the road damage is not repaired, the road may continue to deteriorate, making it an unsafe transportation corridor.

Alternative #2 (Repair in-kind): Repairing the road without addressing the erosion caused by the stream may result in similar damages from future events. In addition, repairs to the road without appropriate recovery area or traffic barriers is a safety hazard for the traveling public.

Comment Period:

Comments are solicited from the public; local, state or federal agencies, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of the proposed project. The comments should be made in writing and addressed to:

FEMA Internal 11988 Reviewer

FEMA Region 4

3003 Chamblee-Tucker Road

Atlanta, Georgia, 30341

Alternatively, comments may be emailed to: FEMA-R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Please send comments with the subject line [DR-4412-NC-00172 11988 COMMENT].

All comments are due by no later than 30 days of the posted date of this notice.

POSTED ON: June 9, 2020