Friday, July 15, 2005

What do you think of this story? Click here to send a message to the editor.

Dennis wreaks havoc on local roads

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

As Hurricane Dennis blew threw the state Sunday night and Monday, many of Coweta’s residents battened down the hatches and hoped for the best.

When the skies started to clear and residents began to assess their damage, many were breathing a sigh of relief.

At first glance, Coweta did not suffer the severity of damage in nearby Fayette County, where damages from Tropical Storm Cindy and Dennis are climbing into the millions.

The biggest problem residents discovered was finding alternative roads.

Coweta County Administrative and Operations Director said this week that several roads were closed due to the storm:

• Lower Fayetteville Road at Shoal Creek.

• Pete Road.

• The 1100 block of Dolly Nixon Road near Old 85.

• Palmetto-Tyrone Road near the bridge.

• Al Roberts Road at White Oak Creek.

• Old Hwy. 85 below Rock House Road.

• Payton Road at Boone Road.

The department of Transportation also closed down Ga. Highway 16 at Line Creek near the Spalding County line, but re-opened it Thursday.

Rockaway Road was also briefly closed during the storm, but also re-opened later in the week.

Senoia also had power out Monday as trees crashed down on Morgan Street. In one of the stranger repercussions of Dennis, local business owner Jimmy Hutchinson was treated by emergency services. A power line went down at the back of his store on Main Street and he could feel the power surge in his pacemaker. Hutchinson was reported fine after EMS officials administered oxygen.

Corker also added that one project, a replacement of a culvert on Elders Mill Road was postponed until next week.