APEX – The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $2.1 million contract to Ralph Hodge Construction Company to replace a failed culvert and relocate a waterline in southwestern Wake County.
Heavy rainfall on Aug. 6 caused the culvert that carried Beaver Creek underneath Olive Chapel Road to fail.
Work to replace the culvert will begin this month. Olive Chapel Road is expected to reopen to traffic in February, though construction activities will continue into the spring.
Along with fixing the damaged road and sidewalk, the project will also replace the old drainage pipe with a new aluminum box structure. This will help water flow more efficiently and reduce the chance of future flooding.
Until the road reopens, drivers will continue to use Apex Peakway, West Williams Street (N.C. 55), U.S. 64 and Kelley Road to access points on either side of the closure.
Drivers should factor the detour into their commutes and be mindful of crews at work in this area.