FORSYTH, Ga. — Brace yourself before you start driving on Montpelier Avenue.
Forsyth drivers are expecting improvements to the road, but some residents living next to it say the road has been driving them crazy since construction started.
Karen Gray is from Jackson. During the week, she helps care for her grandkids in Forsyth at her daughter's home on Montpelier Avenue.
Gray said they love the home they've had for the past four years, but they only recently noticed issues with the road they live on.
"It sounds like somebody's crashing," she said.
They hear pops from people's tires as they drive over what looks like a pothole in front of their home.
Gray said it happens throughout the day and night.
"It'll keep you up late," she said. "If you hit it hard enough, it does under-car damage or hub caps."
One night, Gray said she heard a noise in the front yard. The following day, she found a metal tire rim on the lawn as she was getting ready to take her grandkids to school.
"That does damage to cars, tires especially, and they're not cheap to get fixed," she said.
In July, the City of Forsyth announced using over $2M from SPLOST funds to resurface, widen and improve drainage in one mile of Montpelier Avenue and Road.
"The original project notice to proceed date was Aug. 1," Utilities Director Mike Batchelor said. "This was pushed back to Aug. 19 to allow for the school traffic to die down and adjust to the new traffic pattern as the 1st day of school was Aug. 1. The project was delayed for several weeks due to unanticipated utility location conflicts."
Gray said she noticed the road issue sometime in August when construction started.
Batchelor said the "pothole" is actually a road cut made to repair a leaking water line. He added that the cut was unrelated to the construction project. The temporary solution was to fill the cut with sand and gravel.
"The cut and repair were completed on 9/17," he said. "The cut was then filled with a mixture of sand and gravel. As you can imagine, with a water line leak, the ground under the roadway is still extremely wet at this time. The road cut is then allowed to settle for two to three weeks. During this time, the location is monitored and filled out as needed. The city would then return to compact the gravel and install a permanent asphalt patch."
Months after the issue appeared, Gray explained how she can tell the difference between the kinds of vehicles that drive by.
"The trailers that carry stuff, they're noisy," she said. "If they don't have a lot on them, they bounce."
Batchelor said, "Around Oct. 1, before the patch could be made, the roadway contractors began work in that area on the Montpelier widening and resurfacing project. Due to the lane closures and the nature of the contractor's work, the city is unable to make an asphalt repair at this time."
Getting in and out of the yard isn't much trouble for Gray or her family because they can avoid the problem on the way in and out.
"I don't go very fast because I'm just starting going in and out and slowing down and coming back," she said.
She's more concerned about the people driving by who might not know what they're approaching on Montpelier Avenue.
"I know they have to come out and work and do their work," she said. "It's just the more cars that drive over it; it just needs to be filled more often or something a little more permanent."
According to the utilities director, "I have spoken with the contractor, and they have agreed to conduct the necessary patching needed at this location as they will be resurfacing the entire roadway anyway. In the meantime, a steel plate will be placed over the road cut until repairs can be completed."
Batchelor said the steel plate is the temporary solution until they can complete the project, which should permanently solve the issue.
Batchelor also shared the project's timeline with us.
"The original time frame allotted for the project was 180 days. The contractor resumed construction around Oct. 1. I'm not sure of the actual date. The original date of completion for the project is Jan 28th, 2025. However, the contractor could receive an extension if requested because of the delay needed for re-engineering."
Are any Central Georgia roads driving you crazy? Email us at news@13wmaz.com with your concerns.