Article Title

Archaeological Survey of the Gibson Lane Expansion Project, Bowie County, Texas

Authors

Bo Nelson
Timothy K. Perttula

Agency

Texas Historical Commission

Abstract

Gibson Lane, an existing roadway, is slated for new expansion in Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas. The proposed project has been determined by the Texarkana Metropolitan Planning Organization to be a necessary transportation improvement for the City of Texarkana under a Texas Transportation Improvement Plan overseen by the Texas Department of Transportation. The Gibson Lane Expansion Project will be constructed on a section of private property slated for future development by the City of Texarkana. The private property development will be responsible for construction of the roadway following the guidelines set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act for a United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Nationwide Permit. The cultural resources considerations necessary to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act fall under the purview of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (P.L. 96-515), and its implementing regulations (36 CFR Part 800). The roadway will be locally funded by the City of Texarkana, and thus will fall under their control. Accordingly, this project also comes under the purview of the Antiquities Code of Texas, as amended, and its implementing regulations. An Antiquities Permit is necessary for the completion of this archaeological survey and the preparation of the report of findings.

The expansion project will add an additional 0.49 miles (780 meters) to Gibson Lane. A portion of the new proposed roadway, 0.24 mile (380 meters), was the subject of a 2017 archaeological survey conducted by Tejas Archaeology (Nelson and Perttula 2017). That archaeological survey was for a proposed commercial development project requiring a Section 404 permit issued by the USACE, Fort Worth District. The proposed commercial development in the area of the new proposed roadway extended from University Avenue west to Waggoner Creek. This leaves the portion of the proposed roadway 0.25 mile (400 meters) in length with a 200 ft. (61 meters) wide survey corridor from Waggoner Creek to McKnight Road needing an archaeological survey. On behalf of Hoffman Environmental, Inc. an archaeological survey of this portion of the proposed Gibson Lane Extension project was completed by Tejas Archaeology on April 23, 2019, under Antiquities Permit #8876 issued for this archaeological survey.

Based on the results of the pedestrian archaeological survey and intensive shovel testing of the proposed remaining Gibson Lane Expansion project area, there are no archaeological sites in the project area that are eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places or warrant designation as a State Archeological Landmark (SAL). Taken together with the extent of past disturbances in the project area, it is our recommendation that the proposed project will not have an effect on any sites worthy of designation as an SAL or eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. Consequently, the proposed Gibson Lane Expansion project examined during the April 2019 archaeological survey should be allowed to proceed without further consultation under the Antiquities Code of Texas and the National Historic Preservation Act and their implementing regulations.

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