By Stan Welch
Piedmont residents who are growing impatient with the condition of the area’s roads due to the sewer update project can expect a few more months to pass before any noticeable improvement.
The roads have suffered from the extensive project which is replacing and repairing approximately 9 miles of sewer lines. Metropolitan Sewer SubDistrict (MSSD) will own and operate the system when it is complete, though they have already taken over the operations.
On the Anderson County side, 27,141’ of sanitary sewer mains have been installed. The contractor is installing the remaining 8,600‘ of sewer main. On the Greenville portion of the project, 22,206’ of sanitary sewer mains have been installed. MSSD currently serves 52,500 customers along 600 miles of line in its 168 square mile service area.
The total project, which will serve approximately 900 households and businesses in the Piedmont area, is being funded through a $7.8 million forgiveness loan, meaning the loan does not have to be repaid. Those funds are administered by the S.C. State Clean Water revolving fund.
Anderson County Deputy Administrator and Director of the Roads and Bridges Department Holt Hopkins said that the project, which has been delayed by weather as well as some permitting issues, is expected to be completed in 30-60 days.
As part of the permitting process, the contractor was required to put down $518,000 to be used in the final paving of the various roads affected by the work. “Once we get all the work signed off on, we will put together a contract and let the paving job out for bids. Anderson County will oversee all of that. We will not only pave the roads disrupted by the sewer construction, but we will look at other roads as well, and see what we can do about funding additional paving in the Piedmont area,” said Hopkins.
He warned, however, that the sixty day period will make it all but impossible to let the contract and get paving started before winter weather arrives and makes paving much less salubrious. “Cold weather is not good paving weather, so the chances are very high that the final paving won’t start until spring of next year.”
