- Country Club Road in Valdosta reopens after repairs following Hurricane Helene's damage.
- The closure affected 10,000 to 20,000 daily drivers, causing significant detours.
- City Engineer Ben O'Down explains the extensive repair process took time due to design and approvals.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
This major route was shut down after last November's historic flood dumped 14 inches of rain on the city—busting out the culvert and leaving 10,000 to 20,000 daily drivers scrambling for detours, sometimes driving in big circles.
City Engineer Ben O'Dowd says fixing it wasn't as easy as pouring new pavement.
"We had to design a slab foundation for it, advertise the project for bid—which took 30 days minimum—and then get the thing before council for approval. So all that stuff takes time."
But the wait is over—and regular commuters like Aaron Winston say it's already making their lives easier.
"Pretty regularly. I actually run my business through here a lot and I do a lot of work out in Hahira back over here in this community here."
With Southeastern Credit Union, businesses, and neighborhoods along the corridor like Thornbrooke and Magnolia Plantation, the closure had a real ripple effect.
"The time, the gas, the frustration… getting Country Club back open is pretty much easy commute to."
O'Dowd says the road is now built for durability—designed to weather future storms without shutting the whole street down again.
Country Club Road will be expanding in the future as a part of the Transportation Investment Act project, but officials tell me any road blocks won't be happening on that road anytime soon Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
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