Until its repairs are more complete, the wall on Central Avenue in Demorest is little more than a pile of rocks in part where the outer surface has given way to the eroded emptiness below. The Department of Transportation is scheduled to make the final repairs sometime over the next 6-9 months. ALAN NESMITH/Staff
Hurricanes Delta and Zeta ravaged Habersham County in October 2020. The first storm wrecked dozens off our roads, and the second brought down more than 500 trees.
It was a rough two weeks of weather, and Habersham County leaders sprung into action to try and repair the damage. Many of our roads were up and running in just a few days, and while others took longer, the urgency of our local leaders and public works employees was clear.
The Department of Transportation, meanwhile, has taken almost two years to patch the severely damaged retaining wall along Central Avenue in Demorest and it is still in pitiful shape.
It took 2-3 months before the DOT even took responsibility for the wall, and it has taken significantly longer to schedule the actual repairs. It was on the interminable DOT schedule for somewhere between March and May of 2023, 2 1/2 years after the damage was done.
The wall runs right along a main artery, Historic Hwy 441 in Demorest. It contains water and sewer lines, and has homes sitting on the road above with the ground eroding underneath.
This is not just some aesthetic wall that needs to be fixed for visual purposes.
Allowing the retaining wall to continue in its damaged state this long is a danger to our community and our infrastructure.
The wall recently worsened, and DOT workers showed up to pile up rocks to fill the gaping hole. This decision begs many questions. (Image, page 6.)
First, what happens when another big tropical-type storm strikes? The DOT placed sandbags at the top of the wall to attempt to absorb or divert rainwater that might seep into their jury-rigged rock pile and cause more damage.
Next, if the delay in making the real necessary repairs now is due to funding issues, that seems like a questionable explanation. There were men here last week working. It seems logical that they could have just paid the men to make the permanent fix now.
Also, we are in the same fiscal year as the appointed time for the true fix, so why could funding be shifted around from another project?
The wall creates a safety issue that needs to be addressed. DOT engineers told some in Demorest, perhaps they could move the fix up to December, but what will the weather be like then?
This project needs immediate attention.