Repairs to the saturated land and displaced walls on McMurray Avenue will begin soon.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials and representatives from the state division of Emergency Management determined that the McMurray Avenue culvert qualifies under disaster declaration, so the cost of essential repairs will be reimbursed from the federal government, Columbus Town Manager Jonathan Kanipe told town council members on Nov. 21.
The Columbus Town Council already bid out the work and had agreed to award the project to Steppe Construction for $17,425.
FEMA officials added a $6,300 wall to the existing project to mitigate future flooding. The total amount now totals $24,294.40, including direct administration costs.
Once the project begins, it should take no more than a week to complete, Kanipe said.
The town attained permission from a property owner to allow traffic access across private land so residents can get in and out of their own driveways while the work continues, and residents will receive more information about that individually.
“We hope to allow the contractor to work and finish the job quickly,” Kanipe said in a memo to the council.