Archaeological Sites

Federal law requires that the potential effects of federal projects on important archeological sites be considered during project planning. Consultation with appropriate parties regarding the effects is an essential part of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. As part of the departmentâ€™s efforts to comply with this law, TxDOT provides information and updates on the archeological sites that may be impacted by TxDOT projects with federal involvement.

An individual or organization with an interest in a project may participate as a consulting party in the review and treatment of project effects on archeological sites. Consulting parties receive project information and may comment on determinations and findings regarding the merits of sites for further consideration during project planning, the potential effects of projects on sites, and treatment of any sites that warrant special consideration. TxDOT will work with consulting parties to address their issues and concerns. Consulting parties have a right to express their viewpoints, but they do not have the right to stop a project decision. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), as the lead federal agency for most TxDOT projects, has the responsibility to make final decisions. TxDOT has formal agreements with FHWA and other involved parties that allow TxDOT to speak on behalf of FHWA in most instances. Individuals and organizations may request consulting party status regarding a particular project by email.

Guides to the Section 106 process and consultation are available online.

Projects Currently under Review

County	Description	Format
Bowie	United States Highway (US) 259 Road Widening
Gregg	Farm-to-Market Road 2275 Roadway Extension
Harris	State Highway 99, Segment E (Grand Parkway)
Smith	Extension of Toll 49 from I-20 to SH 31 (project update)
Smith	US 69/Loop 49 North Lindale Relief Route
Titus	FM 1000 from US 271 Relief Route to FM 1735
Tyler/Jasper	Bridge Construction and Road Widening Project
Zapata	US 83 Bridge Project at Arroyo VeleÃ±o

Completed Mitigation Projects

When sites warrant special consideration during project planning, TxDOT often resolves project impacts by sponsoring excavation projects to recover important data. The results of this data collection are typically published in a formal report. Copies of some data recovery reports are available for download upon request. The results may also be summarized in special outreach efforts. TxDOT partnered with Texas Beyond History to present results from a number of its excavation projects.

Mitigation Projects

Archeology Project Reports