County outlines delays and reopening timeline for Whistler Road bridge work and 230 Sixth Street project

Hamilton County highway staff updated commissioners on construction delays for a small-structure replacement on Whistler Road and a separate reconstruction project on 230 Sixth Street, citing delayed utility relocations and design issues.

The Whistler Road closure over Fort Pige was presented as a planned closure on or after June 2 with 128 calendar days anticipated for completion; the board approved the road-closure request. Separately, staff described the long-running 230 Sixth Street project, which began last summer and has been delayed by utility relocation work, chiefly by Duke Energy, and by several severe weather events that pulled utility crews away from the site last year.

Highway staff said Duke Energy has completed relocation work that had previously blocked progress. A small bridge east of Anthony Road required additional pedestrian-bridge work; crews encountered a leftover utility pole and an as-built condition that did not match 35-year-old plans, requiring a partial redesign. Those combined issues slowed the contractor and delayed the schedule.

Staff reported the contractor has removed the old road surface and is making headway, with hopes to open parts of the project by mid-June and to reach the US-31 connection by mid-to-late August, though the latter date is not guaranteed. Commissioners asked for the timeline update and accepted the explanation of the principal causes of delay; the board approved the Whistler Road closure motion by voice vote.