A box culvert replacement project that will repair Paw Paw Road and restore a second lane of traffic won’t start until early next year, according to state highway officials.
The roadway was damaged during the June 3 flood, when a culvert collapsed and the pavement gave way in the southbound lane. Large barriers are in place to block traffic from that lane.
District 5 highway engineer Lee Thorne has said a new box culvert, which has not yet been fabricated to replace the old one, should be ready in early February 2019.
Thorne said there is only one vendor that makes culverts for the state agency, and the Paw Paw culvert has to wait until one for the Charleston area is made.
Federal highway and state environmental approval were needed for the road fix because it will involve engineering changes to the road and drainage.
The box culvert that will be installed in the roadway is 100 ft. long and will be built in 25 8-ft. sections, said Thorne.
One lane on Paw Paw Road will stay closed for several more months.
