Road Dept. working to repair culverts
Sep. 15—Heavy rains earlier this month are have caused critical failures of culverts on two county roads, Cumberland County Road Superintendent Stanley Hall told the Chronicle.
Roads in critical need of repair are Shug Circle in the O'Henry subdivision and Big Horn Dr. in Lake Tansi. A culvert on Maynard Rd. off Creston Rd. will also need attention soon, Hall said.
"We're getting the lines marked (underground utilities)," Hall said. "Shug Circle has buried electrical lines, so we are waiting for Volunteer Energy to be with us for safety."
He hopes to begin work on Shug Circle Monday and Big Horn Dr. as early as Tuesday.
Motorists should use caution in these areas until repairs are complete, looking for caution signs or traffic barriers.
Work on Big Horn Dr. will require a detour, he said. This story will be updated online when plans are finalized.
Hall took office Sept. 1. Since then, 3.71 inches of rain has fallen, nearly twice the normal rainfall for Cumberland County in September. Record rainfall was recorded Sept. 4 with 1.48 inches falling in a 24-hour period.
The county has recorded 51.04 inches of rain this year, though normal rainfall at this time is 42.05 inches.
"We're finding culverts all the time that are borderline in need of replacement," Hall said, noting many of the culverts are galvanized metal, which wears down over time.
As culverts are replaced, he's looking to use culverts made from plastic materials that will last longer.
He is working to secure materials for the repairs and is also looking to purchase better signs to provide greater visibility to areas of roads that may pose a hazard to motorists.
"We're having to order those," he said.
Hall hopes to repair or replace culverts as quickly as possible ahead of the winter and its harsh weather conditions. Speaking of Big Horn Dr., he said it may have been possible to shore up the edge of the road as a temporary repair.
"But if we don't get on that, it's only going to get colder, messier and harder to fix," Hall said. "We're trying to get critical ones replaced."
Hall said work has also begun on a bridge replacement project on Hwy. 28 over Daddy's Creek in the southern portion of the county. It's said to be the most expensive bridge project the county has ever undertaken, though it is being funded through the State Bridge Aid Program of the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Dement Construction Company LLC of Jackson, TN, was awarded the $1.452 million project in July.
Hall said the bridge was closed to traffic earlier this week.
The bridge has had a weight limit of 5 tons. Former County Road Superintendent Scott Blaylock had told members of the Cumberland County Commission the next step after reducing the weight limit so low would be to close the bridge to traffic.
Michael Moser may be reached at mmoser@crossville-chronicle.com
