Megan Broome/The Clayton Tribune. Hiawassee Street in Clayton is closed for replacement of a damaged or collapsed pipe. Crews are working to have the road open up this week.
CLAYTON– The entrance to Hiawassee Street from Highway 76 W in Clayton is temporarily closed while city officials repair a sewage line in the area.
Jason Waldroup, city of Clayton public works director, said a portion of the sewage line is damaged or collapsed and crews are working to find the damaged area and replace it.
Waldroup said the leak was realized March 11 when city officials were notified of a strong odor in the area. He said the problem was found after assessing the area.
The plan is to “have it open by Friday,” Waldroup said. He said crews have been working diligently since last week but the weather might cause the delay.
Waldroup said a likely cause for the sewage pipe damage is the age of the pipe. He said the terracotta pipes were installed in the 1950s or earlier. The pipes are being replaced with ductile iron ones.
The public works director said the hope is to find the damage before hitting Highway 76 West. He said if the damage extends to the highway, the city will have to gain permission from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in order to tear up the road and find the damage. Waldroup said if it comes to that and GDOT denies the request, the city will have to find other methods to fix the problem.