This week there are two graphics (below). The first attachment is the work being done in Basin I or in the vicinity of the Duck Pond. The second attachment is the work being done in Basin II or in the vicinity of Southside Park.
Basin 1
It’s been a busy and productive week in Basin 1 (Duck Pond area). Improvement work continued in the vicinity of Jane Way, complete with tree removal, bush hogging, regrading the drainage ditch, receiving the much-anticipated stormwater control gates, and staging equipment. Tomorrow (Friday), sheet piles are being delivered to the vicinity of Rodgers in preparation for the Spanish Moss Trail improvements. Further, significant coordination with BJWSA and Dominion Energy was completed to relocate their lines to accommodate the improved drainage.
Utilities
With regard to the utility relocations and in anticipation of an active hurricane season, the Mossy Oaks Project, in coordination with BJWSA and Dominion Energy, is taking expedited steps to relocate both gas and water lines to accommodate improved drainage lines. This means that, as previously promised, there will be limited utility service interruptions for those residing on West Royal Oaks, Coates and Battery Creek Road in the next two to three weeks. The interruptions will last about 4-6 hours and barring emergencies will occur sometime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. during the workweek. We will notify affected residents of scheduled interruptions using the communication methods available to us. BJWSA and Dominion Energy have been terrific partners. Both have adjusted their processes because they understand, like we do, that hurricane season is upon us and stormwater relief is among our greatest priorities.
Basin II
In Basin II in the vicinity of Southside Park, Gulfstream has conducted exploratory work to determine the extent of utility conflicts. This exploratory work is important because it lessens the chances of discovering surprises that lead to construction delays. As depicted on the Basin II graphic, there will be concurrent work on the alleyway adjacent to Broad Street and Battery Creek Road. The ditch in the Broad Street neighborhood will be cleaned, restored to the proper elevation, and piped in.
Given Beaufort’s rightful affinity for trees, every conceivable effort will be made to not remove a tree unless absolutely necessary. The construction work on Battery Creek Road will include ensuring ditches are properly cleaned and graded, and higher capacity pipes are installed allowing stormwater to drain more effectively. While we can expect concurrent work both in the vicinity of Broad Street and Battery Creek Road, most of our manpower will be focused on Battery Creek to lessen the impact of potential storms.
Spanish Moss Trail
As a reminder, the Spanish Moss Trail will be closed between Rodgers Drive and Broome Lane beginning Aug. 31. Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail will place signs identifying detours and closures.
Traffic
As many have seen there is a tremendous amount of construction traffic throughout the entire Mossy Oaks area. We can expect construction activity to increase tremendously over the next two weeks. Please continue to exercise great caution when driving, riding bikes, or simply walking. Again, I, the work crews, and their families thank you in advance for maintaining a very safe environment for all of us.
Finally, please encourage all those affected or interested in the Mossy Oaks Project to register with the “Notify Me” application found on the City of Beaufort website (http://www.cityofbeaufort.org/list/aspx) and subscribe to the Mossy Oaks Stormwater Project updates. This is the mechanism to receive near real-time updates on the project to include urgent issues like unscheduled road closures or utility interruptions.
We remain on track for an on time and on budget delivery of this project in the December-January timeframe.
As always, I’m available anytime to address comments, concerns or questions. Be safe and have a fantastic week!
Neal Pugliese, Col USMC (Ret)
Chairman
Mossy Oaks Multijurisdictional Drainage Task Force
npugliese@cityofbeaufort.org
