Work set to begin on Old 179 N in Whigham

Work is expected to begin very soon on the full depth reclamation of Old 179 North within the corporate limits of Whigham.
Grady County Administrator Carlos Tobar reported this week that the notice to proceed will be issued to Oxford Construction on Monday.
“They are going to move fast on this project,” Tobar said. The administrator said the project would be completed in a couple of weeks.
Tobar told commissioners he will meet with Whigham Mayor George Trulock on Thursday to make plans and alert residents who will be impacted by the construction project.
“A couple of residents may not have access to a road overnight. Some are elderly and we must make sure we have plans in place in the event of an emergency,” Tobar said.
The administrator could not get information from the contractor as of late Tuesday on dates for the road closures.
However, Tobar said that motorists must observe road closure signs or else risk serious damage to their vehicles.
Last November, the board voted unanimously to award a contract to Oxford Construction in the amount of $293,276.50 for the portion of the former state highway within the Whigham city limits. The county is investing $149,776.50 of its Local Maintenance Improvement Grant funding and the City of Whigham is contributing $43,500. The remaining $100,000 will come from an additional LMIG allocation the county applied for from the Department of Transportation.
In related news, Tobar reported that the Georgia D.O.T. had signed off on the county’s proposed timeline for the full depth reclamation of the remainder of Old 179 North to the Mitchell County line. According to Tobar, earthwork can begin immediately, which may result in additional overtime expense and need to rent additional equipment. Tobar’s proposed timeline calls for all the earthwork, pipe extensions and shoulder widening by the end of March 2018.