Jackson County Residents Respond to Long Road Closure

David Hall, Reporter

david@southerntorch.com

Residents are concerned about a frequently traveled road in Jackson County due to its seven-month-long closure.

Jackson County Road 119 in Lim Rock crosses a bridge that has foundation issues. Construction crews came in October to work on the problem, but consistent rain forced them to halt work in November.

Residents’ need to use the road has not diminished, and they are frustrated, as it has caused them to have to make a five-mile-long detour for the past seven months.

Residents say the construction has not made any progress since it started months ago. The road closure has become a major inconvenience to all the people who live and work in the area and regularly travel County Road 119.

Many residents are concerned about response times during emergency situations.  James Stewart, a retired firefighter said, “You can get to somebody within three to five minutes of a heart attack, you got a chance of saving them. Without that, there’s not much of a chance.” Stewart says it is now taking anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes to get to the area.

The Public Works Department says that inclement weather has prevented them from being able to get back to construction on County Road 119, however, they are trying.

“We intend to resume on this structure as soon as we return to a drier pattern and water levels return to a manageable level,” stated County Engineer, Jonathan Campbell.

As of now, it is unclear when construction will resume or when it might be completed. Local farmers and residents are hoping that the construction will be completed before this year’s ‘harvest’ time.