Heavy rains causing big problems for road dept.

With nearly six inches of rain recorded here in the last 10 days, it is not surprising that dirt roads in the county are in bad shape.

“It’s frustrating to folks, but we can’t do anything about it. We’re doing all we can under the circumstances,” Grady County road superintendent Stanley Elkins said Tuesday.

With all of the excessive rain, portions of two county roads are currently closed, according to Elkins.

Approximately a quarter-mile stretch of Union Hill Road is closed between Cooper and Spence roads where a “bog hole” is causing issues. Elkins says that log trucks coming in and out on Union Hill have also caused a “big mess.”

“No one lives on that stretch, so I just closed it,” the county road superintendent said

Elkins has also closed a section of Banks Road between Pine Forest and Waldron roads due to a “bog hole.”

“A lot of roads have pot holes, wash outs or bog holes on them. We have been putting out rock and doing the best we can. Until the rain stops we can’t really get in there and do much,” Elkins said.

Road crews won’t catch a break this week since more rain is in the forecast for tonight and Thursday.

“A lot of our roads are in rough shape. I hope folks will drive carefully and be patient with us. We’re all doing the best we can. We need some dry weather so we can get in there and do some work,” Elkins said.

The University of Georgia College of Agriculture & Environmental Science weather station at Monrovia Growers south of Cairo recorded 2.03 inches of rain on Feb. 9; 2.25 inches on Feb. 13; 0.77 inches on Feb. 14; and .029 inches on Feb. 15.

At Tuesday night’s Grady County Commission meeting, District 1 Commissioner June Knight voiced concern about county roads in her district, primarily Piney Grove Road, which she said was “impassible.”

Knight also said she had fielded calls from a property owner on Old 179 who was experiencing drainage issues that were affecting the property owner’s septic system.

“Is Stanley (Elkins) aware of these problems?” Vice Chairman Keith Moye asked.

“Yes, but the ditches haven’t been dug out,” Knight said.

Grady County administrator J.C.(Buddy) Johnson III, who was absent Tuesday night but participated in the meeting via conference call, said that until the rain subsides, the hands of the road department personnel are tied.

“You can’t pull ditches with the weather we’ve been having,” the administrator said.

District 2 Commissioner Ray Prince said that none of the roads he was aware of were impassible. Prince said that he had been able to navigate all of the roads he had been on with a two-wheel-drive truck.

Commission Chairman Phillip Drew said, unfortunately, more rain is coming later this week.