Sept. 10, 2020
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The two maps detail the scheduled work over the next couple of weeks in Basin I (vicinity of the Duck Pond) and Basin II (vicinity of Southside Park).
Basin 1 (vicinity of Duck Pond)
Despite being a shortened week with a weather interruption, the Mossy Oaks Project has had an incredibly busy week. The “Jane Way Canal” has been graded to the correct level with years of accumulated material removed. Conditions have been set to improve the drainage system across First Boulevard and leading to the Duck Pond and then out to Battery Creek. Further, BJWSA, Dominion Energy and SCDOT have been invaluable partners by relocating utilities throughout Basin I to accommodate improved drainage. Once all the utilities are relocated, properly sited drainage pipes will be installed, making a significant improvement to the overall drainage system.
As of today there are five storm systems in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, making the contributions of the utilities and SCDOT even more significant. We understand that utility service interruptions are disruptive and we will do everything in our power to minimize the impact to residents.
Finally, the sheet pile wall is being installed on the Spanish Moss Trail. This wall will reinforce the Spanish Moss Trail and prevent tidal water from seeping under the trail into the residential areas. Currently, the machine used to install the 30-foot-tall steel sheets into the ground is capable of driving about 40-60 feet a day. Unless otherwise notified, driving the steel sheet pile wall will only occur during the week. In total about 1,220 feet of wall will be installed in Basin I between Rodgers and Broome.
Next week, utility relocation and drainage improvement work will continue on Jane Way, West Royal Oaks, South Royal Oaks, North Royal Oaks, and Battery Creek Boulevard. The work being done in these areas will include gas and water relocations, pipe installation, and ditch grading. A special thanks to those patiently enduring these necessary but disruptive interruptions. Finally, the Spanish Moss Trail will continue to be closed between Rodgers and Broome to accommodate sheet pile wall installation.
Again, we deeply appreciate the residents’ patience and their understanding given the increased construction traffic, and utility service interruptions. These improvements will significantly improve the quality of life of those who suffer the most from flooding.
Basin II (vicinity of Southside Park)
In Basin II work is currently being done on Battery Creek and on Lawton Farm Road concurrently. New drainage pipes are being installed on Battery Creek Road in the vicinity of the BJWSA pump station and Southside Park. Battery Creek Road is expected to be closed to through traffic for about two weeks. Understanding the urgency to improve drainage in that area, the contractor will be working through Saturday and possibly Sunday this week. This work will greatly enhance the drainage situation in Basin II (Vic of Southside Park).
In other work, all trees, shrubs, and bushes interfering with the drainage system have been removed from the ditch in the vicinity of Broad Street. This will allow the ditch to be graded to the proper elevation. Following grading the ditch, two 60-inch pipes will be installed and dirt will be backfilled onto the pipes. The Broad Street ditch is expected to be ready for pipe installation in about two weeks. Following that, grass will be planted to cover the new pipes.
Safety!
There is a tremendous amount of construction traffic in and around Mossy Oaks. We are grateful to law enforcement (City of Beaufort and the Sheriff’s Office) for increasing their patrols and placing speed monitors along the Battery Creek Boulevard. Please be very mindful of children, cyclists, and drivers. Between now and November, we can expect increased traffic of all sorts to transit the project area. Please exercise extreme caution. I, the work crews, and their families thank you in advance for maintaining a very safe environment for all of us.
Stay informed
Finally, please encourage all those affected or interested in the Mossy Oaks Project to register with the “Notify Me” application found on the City of Beaufort website (https://www.cityofbeaufort.org/list.aspx) and subscribe to the Mossy Oaks Stormwater Project updates. This is the mechanism to receive near real-time updates on the project and includes urgent issues like unscheduled road closures or utility interruptions.
We remain on track for an on-time and on-budget delivery of this project in the December-January timeframe.
As always, I’m available anytime to address comments, concerns or questions. We have achieved terrific momentum and with that momentum comes progress.
Have a fantastic week!
Neal Pugliese, Col USMC (Ret)
Chairman
Mossy Oaks Multijurisdictional Drainage Task Force
npugliese@cityofbeaufort.org