The city of Cornelia has closed down several roads because of weekend flood damage and serious safety concerns.
Irvin Street is closed between Wells Street and Level Grove Road. Cornelia City Manager Donald Anderson says water has undermined the road on both sides of the street just before Creekside Cleaners. There is concern the road might collapse, he says.
Also, Wells Street is closed between Moss Street and Irvin Street and Front Street is closed between Main Street and Wells. Anderson says heavy flooding in this area has caused the road to collapse on the Front Street side of the railroad underpass.
Engineers have been in town since early Monday assessing damage throughout the city. The worst area was around the train tracks in downtown Cornelia.
Due to the extent of the damage, city engineers estimate repairs could take up to 60 days to complete. The city plans to hire two separate contractors to repair the roads so they can be reopened as soon as possible.
“We understand that this creates a major inconvenience for drivers. The decision to close any road is never made lightly,” says Anderson. “Please be patient and obey the traffic barricades, the roads are closed for your protection.”
As bad as the damage is in some parts of Cornelia, officials say it could have been worse. Areas previously prone to flooding did not flood under the stress of the ten plus inches of rain Anderson says the city received. He attributes that to the new infrastructure that has been installed since Cornelia launched its Storm Water Program in 2017. Those areas include Wayside, Galloway, and Hoyt Streets as well as Old Cleveland Road.
Cornelia will provide updates on road closings on its website and social media channels.
For questions concerning the damage or road projects, contact Cornelia City Hall at 706-778-8585.
