DeKalb County road could be closed for weeks

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County road could be closed for several weeks after a water main break caused a large hole to open up in the middle of the street.

An official said Beech Drive at Memorial Drive could be closed to traffic for three to four weeks as crews work to repair the road.

"Those who can walk to their homes can walk but we're going to make it safe for the elderly and those who can't access as easily to get to their homes," DeKalb Watershed Management spokesman Andrew Cauthen said.

Work could also be necessary on a turn lane on Memorial Drive.

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Cauthen said a contractor installing fiber-optic cable damaged a 36-inch water main Tuesday afternoon, causing "significant buckling on Beech.”

The county will make the repairs and seek to recuperate loses from the contractor, all while keeping an eye on further damage.

"There is some buckling in the road down Beech Drive, but our crews have identified the cracks in the road and we're going to replace the pavement and stabilize the road," Cauthen said.

No cars were damaged and no water outages were reported in the area because of the incident.

Crews said weather will impact the repairs. They are not able to replace the asphalt as long as the temperature is below 40 degrees.

Cox Media Group