Repairs to Kelly Springs Road expected to start in February
By Andrew Bell
Published in News on January 14, 2007 10:33 AM
State highway officials sayd Kelly Springs Road in southern Wayne County, damaged during Tropical Storm Ernesto in September, should be repaired in February.
The road east of Mount Olive, which connects Wayne and Duplin counties, was washed out during the storm, but the project to repair the road fell behind other repair projects on roads that have heavier traffic counts, officials said.
Engineers with the state Department of Transportation said work on the road and its roadbed should begin within a few weeks.
Bridge Maintenance Engineer Jimmy Marler said the real damage is under the road.
"As of right now, there are three lines of pipe that caved in," Marler said.
That damage weakened the entire structure of the bridge on Kelly Springs Road, he added.
The state transportation department has already purchased the materials to create a box culvert for the damaged bridge, Marler said.
But obtaining the construction permits has taken more time, he said. Since the bridge is located in a swampy area, Marler said DOT has to obtain environmental permits from the Corps of Engineers, the state Wildlife Commission and other state environmental agencies before work can begin.
Marler said he hopes to have the construction materials and permits ready by the end of the month so construction can begin in February.
If weather permits, repairs should take about five weeks to complete, he said.
"We know it's an inconvenience for people. We just want them to know that it takes some time for this kind of replacement," Marler said.