Fifteenth Avenue Southeast, between Second and Third streets, is closed due to the collapse of the manholes of a sewer line. 

MOULTRIE, Ga. — City officials are planning extensive infrastructure repair within the next coming months. 

The city will soon begin a “major” effort to repair and maintain roads that have been affected by long-standing issues and exacerbated by recent rain in the area, according to Pete Dillard, Moultrie city manager.

The first of these projects is the replacement of two manholes that had collapsed on 15th Avenue Southeast between Second and Third streets. The Sewer Replacement Project has been an ongoing agenda item since May, when the Moultrie City Council approved the purchase of materials during its May 18 meeting.

During Thursday’s Downtown Development Authority meeting, Dillard told the board the manhole will be arriving soon and installation work will begin “within the next few days.”

“They’re going to be bringing it in on a big truck. Manholes are actually made as one big piece then installed at the site,” Dillard said in an interview after the meeting.

In an article previously published in The Observer, Dillard had stated that while the manholes will take “about 30 days” to install, improvements to the road need to be made before it can be opened back to the public again.

The City of Moultrie has other plans to improve infrastructure including replacing four culverts underneath Seventh Street that are currently blocked to traffic and other repairs to streets or waterways that have been damaged or fallen into a worsened state due to the increased rainfall. 

“Our guys are working constantly,” Dillard stated.

Recently the American Recovery Plan allocated $2.6 million to the City of Moultrie. The majority of the funds will be used to close the Spence Field wastewater treatment plan and divert all wastewater to the new plant that recently opened on 15th Street. 

The other money will be used in various other places including some infrastructure, Dillard said.

Dillard also stated that a separate infrastructure bill will be coming that will allow the city access to more funds. He said that he hopes to spend it on Colquitt Regional Medical Center, the food bank and other city projects. Dillard could not give an estimated date on when the funds from the bill will be allocated.