CHATHAM COUNTY – A residential road with a history of flooding has been elevated by the N.C. Department of Transportation and will soon be finalized with new pavement.
NCDOT maintenance crews mobilized at Jeremiah Drive near Jordan Lake earlier this week for paving preparations. Paving operations are expected to begin later this week and be complete within a couple days, weather permitting. Access for residents and emergency vehicles is being maintained throughout this process.
A low-lying section of Jeremiah Drive has been overwhelmed by Jordan Lake backwaters numerous times since the construction of the dam several decades ago, but recent hurricanes led to more prolonged submersion of the road. In response to the severity of those cases, NCDOT pursued a permanent solution.
The local NCDOT division secured the funding and provided the crews for the $450,000 project and gained necessary permits and clearance to work within the vicinity of the lake the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns and operates. Jeremiah Drive was raised by 6-7 feet over a span of about 800 feet, which should minimize the risk of future flooding issues.