Oct. 30, 2020
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Please see the two attachments that detail work in the following two weeks in Basin I (vicinity of the Duck Pond) and Basin II (Vicinity of Southside Park).
Basin I (vicinity of Duck Pond)
Despite the storm on Thursday, which brought rain and power outages, a tremendous amount of work was completed in every single project area within Basin I. Work continues along Jane Way, First Blvd, the West Royal Oaks ditch, and the Spanish Moss Trail.
Next week there will be more drainpipes installed on Jane Way and First Blvd. The West Royal Oaks ditch will continue to be cleaned and graded to the correct elevation. With respect to Jane Way and First Blvd, those who transit that area may expect both day and nighttime closures as the bulk of the most impactful drainage work begins. Residents may also expect short-term water and sewer interruptions as the last of the water and sewer lines are relocated. Please avoid the area if at all possible. These detours will last between 10 days and two weeks.
Finally, the Spanish Moss Trail continues to be readied for major work, including replacing an old sewage line and installing tidal flap gates that will prevent high tidal water from inundating the neighborhoods. The installation of the already improved drainage system is already paying off. Despite some significant rainfall and tidal events, flooding has not occurred in the same way as in years past.
Basin 2 (vicinity of Southside Park)
The only substantial work left in Basin 2 includes the improved drainpipes in the Broad Street area and work on the Spanish Moss Trail. Work continues on Lawton Farms Road next week as crews complete the last 40% of the drainpipe installation. Based on the weather, work will probably continue into the weekend.
We expect to complete work in this basin ahead of schedule with the exception of construction on the Spanish Moss Trai … and we are on budget! Work will begin on the Spanish Moss Trail in Basin II sometime next week but more than likely between Nov. 3 and Nov. 5. Please excuse this inconvenience as we move to a successful completion of this massive drainage improvement.
Safety!
We are happy to report that our safety record remains excellent, but we cannot afford to become complacent. Please be mindful of the sheer volume of heavy construction equipment in the area.
When navigating the area, if you cannot see the heavy equipment operator, then they are unlikely to see you. Please continue to transit the area using extreme caution. Disruptions and detours will be numerous, particularly in the Jane Way and First Blvd area. A special thanks goes out to our first responders and Dominion Energy this week as they responded within minutes to a fallen powerline in the vicinity of Southside Park during the recent storm. The area was rapidly isolated and power restored inside of 30 minutes.
Stay informed
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 (https://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, including urgent issues like unscheduled road closures or utility interruptions.
I’m very pleased to report that at this point, the project remains on track for an on-time and on-budget delivery in the December-January timeframe.
Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime for comments, questions and concerns.
Have a great week!
Neal Pugliese, Col USMC (Ret)
Chairman
Mossy Oaks Multijurisdictional Drainage Task Force
npugliese@cityofbeaufort.org