By Mitch Talley Whitfield County Director of Communications
Beaverdale Road in Whitfield County will be closed starting next week as part of a project being funded by the 2007 TSPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax).
The county originally had planned to close Beaverdale Road on May 6 after the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) sent local officials a letter stating the road had to be closed for safety reasons until repairs are made.
Because traffic is so heavy on Beaverdale Road, however, local officials decided to leave it open as long as possible, realizing construction couldn’t start immediately.
To get back in compliance with federal funding regulations, though, the county must now close the road on Tuesday even though construction won’t actually begin until early August.
“For the county to get about $1.2 million in federal funds later this year, we’ve got to play by the rules,” Whitfield County Public Works Director DeWayne Hunt said, “so Beaverdale will have to be closed from July 14 through the construction process.”
He anticipates the road to be closed about 60 days, from mid-July to mid-September. A concrete box culvert, which will be used in place of the old corrugated metal pipes that have rusted and begun to sag, should arrive here on Aug. 5, and installation will begin soon afterwards.
“We understand that Beaverdale Road is one of the top 10 busiest roads in the county, and I apologize for the inconvenience to commuters and residents,” Hunt said. “Unfortunately not all projects can be done while traffic is flowing through a work zone. The cost to place a temporary bridge or bypass would have possibly doubled the construction cost.”
The Beaverdale project, which will include construction of a concrete box culvert in place of the current metal pipes, will actually be paid for with some of the last remaining funds from the TSPLOST that began in 2007.
Detours will be marked, Hunt said.
