A project that was supposed to be completed by the end of last year has hit another hurdle.
According to Demorest City Manager Mark Musselwhite, the contractor had to remove the sealant from the sidewalk and the joints above the recently installed retaining wall on Central Avenue/Historic US 441 due to the sealant being defective. It only affects the middle section that is covered in plastic. The plastic is in place to prevent water intrusion under the sidewalk and eroding beneath the wall.
Musselwhite states that according to the contractor, the sealant they used in that section of sidewalk was a “bad batch” and had to be removed and replaced.
He adds that they did not have to remove the sidewalk, only the defective sealant. Once the new sealant is applied, they will continue with installing the handrails.
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Georgia DOT awarded the project to Vertical Earth nearly a year ago. Vertical Earth had hoped to complete the project last summer once the hand railing arrived, however, the hand railing didn’t arrive until early winter.
The project had a completion date of December 31, 2023 but missed that deadline due to supply chain issues with receiving the required railing.
Musselwhite did not have a completion date for the project.
