For 13 months, eight months longer than expected, residents and business owners along Belleville Avenue have had to detour due to a sewer project with the City of Brewton.
City officials are saying an end may finally be in sight that will put drivers, home owners and business owners back on their old route.
Ray Madden, manager of the City of Brewton Utilities Department, said work being done this week is the last of what is necessary to get the work completed.
“The paving is all done, except for a driveway,” Madden said. “We have a few more sidewalk sections to finish and a handicapped ramp. AT&T has to move a few poles and we need to do a little bit more sodding. The street should be opened to traffic by the end of this week.”
Madden said all the barricades should be down.
“It’s been a year and a month since we began this work and it is going to be great to see it finally finished,” he said.
Beasley and Company of Brewton, are finishing the job begun in July of 2010 by Martin Construction of Atmore. Delays and problems with the job forced Martin Construction to withdraw when it failed to meet the promised deadlines. The City of Brewton imposed a $500 per day fine on the company for not completing the work by an acceptable deadline.
New contracts for completion of the project were awarded to Beasley and Company of Brewton, which will bring between $45,000 and $65,000 in payment for their work. The paving was done by Roads, Inc. of Cantonment, at a cost of $136,000 according to city officiials.
On Monday, the workers with Beasley and Company were completing grouting inverts in the storm water manholes.
“We still have to paint the stripes on the newly paved street,” Madden said. “All of that should be finished within the next two weeks.”
Drivers are urged to use caution along Belleville Avenue as roadside work continues over the next few weeks.