Waycross motorists will have noticed the closure of a portion of Lee Avenue, specifically from the Memorial Drive intersection to the underpass. This closure is estimated to last for three months, as the City of Waycross works to replace the culvert beneath the road.
Requests for project bids were sent out in September of last year. The project was approved on December 16, with a $1.165 million contract awarded to The Scruggs Company. Funding for the project has been provided from SPLOST funding, the city water and sewer fund, as well as a Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG).
At the meeting, Waycross City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford stated the city “was fortunate there hasn’t been a major cave-in yet” in that lengthy culvert system.
In a statement to The Journal-Herald, Engineering Coordinator Dawn Strickland, elaborated, saying “After Hurricane Helene, the city had determined that Lee Avenue culvert had outlived its useful life, and in the interest of public safety, the city is replacing this deteriorated concrete arch culvert with no bottom with a modern steel reinforced concrete box culvert.”
