County Council and Public Works to reopen Botanical Parkway ahead of schedule and under budget
November 5, 2016
Lexington County Council and the Lexington County Department of Public Works have announced the reopening of the Botanical Parkway, which was closed after it suffered heavy damage from the October 2015 rain event, on November 6 at 3 p.m.
On Jan. 12, 2016, Lexington County Council members approved the engineering phase to begin reconstruction on Botanical Parkway. Cherokee Construction was contracted to carry out the construction on the project, which started on July 18, 2016.
Originally schedule to reopen in December 2016 at an estimated $790,000, work on the project exceeded expectations and came in under budget at $760,000.
The two original 20-foot by 8-foot tall aluminum-arch culverts, which failed after it was inundated by water during last year’s flooding, were replaced with a sturdier concrete culvert. The new design is stronger and more durable, allowing for a 30 percent increase in water capacity to flow underneath the roadway.
“The October 2015 flood could not have come at a worse time. The opening of our new children’s garden, Waterfall Junction, was just months away and easy access to the Botanical Garden was critical to its success,” Riverbanks Zoo & Garden President and CEO Satch Krantz said. “The County’s Council and staff immediately recognized the importance of getting Botanical Parkway back open as quickly as possible. We are delighted to see that this massive project will open ahead of schedule, thanks to their efforts.”
“The reopening of Botanical Parkway was critical for the residents of the Saluda Mill community, who use the road as a main thoroughfare for daily commutes to work and school,” Lexington County Council Chairman Todd Cullum said. “This project opening ahead of schedule and under budget is a testament to the seamless and synergetic work performed by the members of Council, Public Works, Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering, Cherokee Construction and the Army Corps of Engineers.”
The reopening of the roadway is also important for the County’s emergency responders, who use the thoroughfare to navigate to and from emergency scenes.
