The Catoosa County Commission is using nearly $100,000 of SPLOST funds to bring much-needed repairs to a dangerous section of Poplar Springs Road in Ringgold. Funds from the voter-approved 1-cent sales tax are specially earmarked for transportation and infrastructure projects.
Local officials have already received notice about the problematic strip of road from the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office, said county Stormwater Director James Davis.
Located between Holcomb Road and Harris Drive, the road has no real shoulder, leaving vehicles traveling eastbound unable to recover in the event of an emergency.
"This is a hazard for drivers that get too close to the edge of the roadway and slip off of the pavement and [does] not allow any ground for recovery," Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk wrote in the notice sent to the Public Works Department on May 9.
Adding to concerns is the area's high-velocity stormwater runoff, which has begun to erode and undermine at least three separate sections of the roadbed.
Officials are also worried about a 4-inch gas line that runs along the road, which has now been exposed in several places.
"The lack of shoulder along with the exposed gas line - it's not good," Davis told commissioners during their June 19 meeting. "That definitely needs to be repaired."
The work will be completed through Baker Contracting Company, with a labor cost of $97,620. Since the county already has an existing contract with the company for other 2017 stormwater projects, the work was approved as a change order, bringing the total cost for the projects from $460,076 to $557,696.
"I know the board doesn't like to hear change order, but this is one that we definitely need," Davis said.
The change order will allow for the installation of erosion control methods and work to rebuild that section of the road, the change order shows.
Planners expect the work to be complete before the new school year begins in August.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com