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Dawson County, Etowah Water and Sewer discuss culvert replacement on Etowah River Road; two MOA options presented
Summary
Public works staff presented a two-part MOA with Etowah Water and Sewer to replace a failing county culvert under Etowah River Road; options include Etowah replacing the roadway with county reimbursement or the county contracting out road replacement after Etowah's culvert work. A road closure was noted for March 16–October for culvert replacement.
Public Works Director Robert Drewy told the Dawson County Board of Commissioners the county has a failing double 66-inch corrugated metal culvert under Etowah River Road (at Russell Creek) that the Georgia DOT has assessed as being in poor condition and in need of replacement.
"They're gonna replace the culvert, and there's a cost to that, of course, but they also include replacing 1,380 feet of roadway and make actually, making it safer," Robert Drewy said, explaining that Etowah Water and Sewer plans to install a larger, bottomless culvert to meet federal requirements.
Drewy described two MOA options: Option A, in which Etowah replaces the culvert and 1,300–1,380 feet of roadway and the county reimburses Etowah if the quoted cost is reasonable; and Option B, where Etowah replaces the culvert and the county separately contracts the road replacement using T-SPLOST funds if Etowah's road quote is not reasonable. Drewy said Etowah already has culvert work contracted and posted signs; he noted Etowah plans a road closure from March 16 through October to complete the culvert replacement.
The planned roadwork would add paved shoulders, change grades in places, install guardrail, and widen the culvert opening. Staff said the MOA had been drafted and reviewed by the county attorney; a finalized agreement would be provided to the board before the next meeting.
Why it matters: the culvert is a county asset on a critical local road; replacing it is necessary for safety and to advance a larger reservoir project tied to Etowah's work. The MOA determines who performs the roadwork and how costs are allocated, and the closure window will affect local access for several months.
Next steps: staff will make the MOA available to the board prior to the next meeting for further review and potential action. No final vote was taken at the work session.
