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Go, lG red 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date : January 21 , 2003 Action Agenda Item No . 51 SUBJECT : Resolution In Support of Adequate Bridge Length and Vertical Clearance For US 151501 Crossing of New Hope Creek DEPARTMENT : County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING : (Y/ N ) No ATTACHMENT( S ) : INFORMATION CONTACT : Commissioner Brown Draft Resolution TELEPHONE NUMBERS : Hillsborough 732 =8181 Chapel Hill 968 = 4501 Durham 688 =7331 Mebane 336 =227 =2031 PURPOSE : To consider a Resolution In Support of Adequate Bridge Length and Vertical Clearance for US 15/501 Crossing of New Hope Creek . BACKGROUND : North Carolina Department of Transportation , as part of TIP Project U -4012 to add a northbound and a southbound lane to US 15 - 501 from north of Mt . Moriah Road to south of Garrett Road , will replace the bridge over New Hope Creek . The NCDOT preferred design , as outlined in the department ' s Environmental Assessment for the project , includes a 205 -foot bridge span with an eight-foot vertical clearance . The NCDOT preferred design is below the recommended height for trail crossings recommended by the State of North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission , and will impair trail maintenance activities , and will preclude use of the trail for equestrian activities in the future . North Carolina ' s Natural Heritage program recognizes New Hope Creek Corridor as one of the most significant habitat corridors in the piedmont . The New Hope Creek Open Space Corridor Plan , adopted by the City of Durham , Durham County , the Town of Chapel Hill and Orange County in 1991 , calls for the New Hope Creek floodplain to be preserved as a significant wildlife habitat and area recreation amenity . The construction , in 1956 , of the present bridge used extensive fill to minimize the length of bridge span needed . The result has been significant deterioration in natural qualities of the floodplain for wildlife habitat and movement , the natural flow of floodwaters and recreational trail use . The new bridge design could avoid those same impacts to the corridor and help remediate the past environmental degradation . Such bridge design would likely require a 300 -foot span and average 10 -foot vertical clearance . FINANCIAL IMPACT : There is no financial impact associated with approval of the resolution .