Progress Continues On Repairs to SR 51 in Hart Co.

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

In Hart County, there may be light at the end of the culvert tunnel.

The new giant steel pipe has now been laid in the area where a massive sinkhole developed last Spring on State Route 51 near Hartwell.

Georgia Department of Transportation Spokesperson Teri Pope said crews are now building back the road.

Pope said they are hopeful work will be completed by mid-October as planned.

The sinkhole opened up in early May when the old culvert pipe that funneled lake water under SR51/Reed Creek Highway collapsed.

It took weeks of preconstruction work over the summer, which included installing a temporary dam area to give crews a dry place to work and rerouting utilities, before work could even begin to remove the old pipe.

Once workers reached the old pipe, they found little of it left.

The original culvert pipe, which was installed over 50 years ago, had completely deteriorated and it took another week to remove all of the pieces.

Then in late August, the new culvert pipe arrived in sections and workers began assembling it.

In September, crews laid the pipe in the ground.

The new pipe is made of stronger steel and should last much longer than the original.

Work is expected to be completed and State Route 51/Reed Creek Highway re-opened by October 13th.