Commissioners Ratify Three Bridge Repairs To The Tune Of $1.15 Million

Construction is still ongoing at the bridge on Club Drive over Sweetwater Creek from September’s flooding.

 LAWRENCEVILLE — Gwinnett’s Board of Commissioners officially ratified on Tuesday $1.15 million in emergency repairs to three roadway bridges that were damaged in the flooding last September.

The bridge work, which took place at Garner Road over Garner Creek, Martin Nash Road over Turkey Creek and Club Drive over Sweetwater Creek, began immediately under emergency contracts issued to  to minimize road closings following the flooding. Two were completed and opened to traffic within 30 days and the third on Club Drive, while remaining open to traffic, is now nearing completion.

Gwinnett Department of Transportation Director Brian Allen said the work was initially paid for with 2009 SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) funds, although the county expects to receive reimbursement from federal disaster-recovery funds, either from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Federal Highway Administration.

“We greatly appreciate the ability of our contractors to get started immediately on emergency repairs so we can keep our roads open and safe for Gwinnett motorists,” Allen said in a released statement.

According to Gwinnett DOT Deputy Director Kim Conroy, E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. of Snellville was one of three local contractors contacted following the floods as part of the county’s emergency procurement procedures. As it turns out, E.R. Snell was the lone bidder. Conroy said Sunbelt Structures of Tucker and another firm did not submit bids for whatever reason. He also said procurement and purchasing officials with the county thought Snell’s bid was reasonably priced.