Politics & Government
Repair Work On Orkin Drive Costing Nearly $220,000, With Oconee County Paying Half
Orkin Drive failed because of a bury pit and had to be rebuilt. Borings before construction had identified the fill beneath the surface.
Oconee County is paying nearly $110,000 as the county’s share of the cost of repairing Orkin Drive, the main entranceway to the Caterpillar plant on the east side of Bogart.
The roadway failed shortly after the two counties accepted responsibility for it in August and September of 2013, and it was partially closed and rebuilt at the end of last year. Total cost of repair was just less than $220,000, with Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County splitting the expenses.
Athens-Clarke County engineers blamed the road failure on a bury pit of fill materials hidden beneath the surface containing old asphalt, tree stumps and branches.
A test boring conducted before the road was built had located fill at the site where the road failed, but a decision was made to go forward with the construction despite the discovery.
County Finance Director Wes Geddings told the county’s Industrial Development Authority at its meeting last month that the bill for the repair work had come in and that he would report back to the group at its meeting at 4 p.m. tomorrow at the courthouse about payment of the bill.
For full details on this complicated story, go to Oconee County Observations.
Pictured: Orkin Drive At U.S. 78.