Clint Proffer of High Ground LLC stands in front of the construction on Moss Creek. Proffer, who worked excavation and demolition on the project, partnered with North Georgia Concrete for the culvert rebuild. (Submitted Photo)
Arnoldsville resident Clint Proffer lives just six miles from his latest worksite — the box culvert being replaced over Moss Creek at Double Bridges Road.
“It’s very inconvenient for (residents) to have to drive an extra three or four or five miles down Double Bridges Road to go around, when they could have just gone 300 feet,” he said.
Despite some slight delays from rain, Proffer said he’s confident the road can be opened by the July 4 deadline.
“We’re getting very close,” he said. “We still may have a little grassing and things like that to tighten up after we open the road, but we should be able to open the road by July 4.”
Proffer, with High Ground LLC, did the demolition and excavation on the site and partnered with North Georgia Concrete to replace the culvert. He said 20 feet of one side of the culvert’s foundation had washed out beneath it, causing that section to sink.
The entire structure was replaced, starting with the demolition of the damaged barrels of the culvert, as water continued to flow through the remaining barrel. After those two barrels were replaced, the creek was rerouted and the final section was demolished.
Proffer and North Georgia Concrete are now completing the last barrel, replacing the soil removed during excavation and adding the final touches so the road can be reopened.
Double Bridges Road has been closed over Moss Creek since October 2024 when inspectors from the Georgia Department of Transportation found damage during a routine check. Although no structural damage to the road was found, local officials decided to close it in the interest of public safety.
Public Works Director Adam Nation said the culvert damage was caused by scouring, which is the removal of sediment from around bridge structures from the flow of water.
“Anytime you're doing a repair like that, you learn a lot,” Nation said. “There was a lot of stuff learned from the project; it's pretty cool.”
Funding for the project came from the state and was coordinated by Board of Commissioners Chairman Jay Paul, who reached out to Gov. Brian Kemp shortly after the damage was found.
“I did text Kemp, and within a couple of days, he had DOT people out looking at the bridge,” Paul said. “I forget the timeline, but (Kemp) was able to usher it along so that we were able to get close to $500,000 toward repairing and replacing this box culvert.”
The amount should be enough to cover costs, but Paul said the county is also looking to secure funding from FEMA for site enhancements on Moss Creek to address other areas of concern.
“Perhaps removing a sandbar that’s causing some problems and stabilizing some of the other banks and shorelines along the creek,” Paul said.