CULLMAN, Ala. – County Road 222 near the Exit 305 Interstate 65 interchange has been a problem area for the Cullman County Commission and road department since a pipe collapsed in January causing a sinkhole. In March, the commission allocated more than $760,000 for remediation.
Initial repairs began in March. Now, due to ongoing issues with settlement, more repairs will begin today, Tuesday, Oct. 15.
“The cause of the current surface settlement was the collapse of the existing drainage pipes several months ago,” shared Cullman County Engineer Philip Widner. “These surface repairs are necessary due to the road base material that dropped into the collapsing pipes before they could be filled with concrete resulting in the settlement.”
While motorists may have noticed a stockpile of materials near the site, that is a precaution the road department is taking to expedite repairs to avoid road closure or prolonged traffic delays. The damage has yet to be fully assessed, as most of the settlement and debris will not be visible until construction begins.
Said Widner, “The exact extent of the repairs are unknown at this time until the surface is removed and the road base is exposed.”
Currently, County Road 222 is expected to remain open during repairs with lane shifts and speed changes to accommodate road crews and machinery.
“We ask that everyone please use extreme caution when traveling in the area and pay close attention to our flagmen, construction signs and necessary lane shifts that will be required,” said Widner.
It is unknown how long the repairs will take to complete.
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