Residents tell commissioners roadwork and shoulder conditions on mountain roads need attention

Residents at the public-comment portion of the Fannin County meeting urged commissioners to inspect recent private contractor work on a county road and to increase maintenance on mountain roads that are seeing more traffic.

David Wells, a resident of 1351 Sunrock Mountain Road, told commissioners a private contractor installed a three-inch warp pipe about a half-mile up the road and that the ditch work was "not put back to county standards." Wells said the area is washing out and lacks gravel on the side of the road.

“My concern is the center of the ditch. It's not put back to county standards. It's washing out. There's no gravel on the side of the road,” Wells said.

Rich Belmont, who identified himself as living at 1828 Summerhawk Mountain Road and said he was speaking for a neighbor, said Sunrise Mountain Road has seen increased traffic since he built in 2016 and that county maintenance is infrequent in that area. Belmont said shoulders and infrastructure placed on shoulders are at risk from vehicles turning around or passing on the narrow road.

“We don't see the county up in that part of the road very much at all,” Belmont said, and asked whether he could submit a written description for the board to review in detail.

Commissioners responded that staff would inspect Wells's reported problem and that Belmont could provide written information for staff review. The board did not take formal action during the meeting on either complaint; staff said an inspection would be scheduled.