For the past two years, Property Owners living on the most weathered, beaten-up streets in Big Canoe often have endured near-constant work by the electric and water utilities and the subsequent road patching issues that followed.
That’s been changing In recent weeks: the POA’s $1.15 million road improvement project began recently with the repaving of Ridgeview Drive. Rather than just patching things up here and there, a complete repaving of 19 road segments – five of which make up the entirety of Ridgeview – are getting their overdue road refresh. Below is a complete list of streets scheduled to be repaved.
With all the work going on, please be careful when driving near crews. When possible, seek out an alternate route.
Per Big Canoe’s agreement with Utilities, Inc. Georgia, they are always responsible for returning our roads to an “as found” condition after fixing our aging water system. They have been struggling with their contractors to meet this requirement.
Despite some undeniably distressed road surfaces around Big Canoe, their overall condition has improved over the years, according to Don Watson, a research engineer with the National Center for Asphalt Technology who previously was a 32-year veteran of the Georgia Dept. of Transportation.
Watson has long surveyed Big Canoe’s roads, mile by mile, to assess their condition with a 0-100 numerical system that rates surfaces as follows: 1-40 being “very poor,” 41-59 being “poor,” 60-74 being “average,” 75-85 being “good,” and 86-100 “being very good.” Watson factors in numerous road-condition criteria including various types of cracking; raveling, or the progressive disintegration from the surface downward; potholes; and the conditions along the edge of the street.
Watson reported in 2006 that Big Canoe had 22 percent of its roads classified as “very good,” which increased to 25 percent in 2009 and 49 percent by October 2020. He added that 15 percent of roads in 2006 were “very poor.” No streets had so low a rating in his most recent survey, completed in October 2020.
In the current plan, all Big Canoe roads classified as “poor,” which amounts to about 3 percent off all streets, are being paved.
The process starts with cold patching – filling holes and indentations with a paving mix that includes new gravel. Next, hot asphalt is applied to those same spots, creating a more level surface. Finally, the laying of 1 ¼ or 1 ½ inches of fresh asphalt based on Watson’s recommendation is applied. The new roads will also get fresh striping and new reflectors added.
Below is a complete list street segments set to be paved starting in late May:
• Cherokee Trail, from Wildcat Parkway to McElroy Mountain Drive
• Cliff Fern Point, from McElroy Mountain Drive to End
• Fallen Deer Path, from Quail Cove Drive to End
• Little Beaver Run, from Woodland Trace to End
• McElroy Mountain Drive, from Wilderness Parkway to Cherokee Trail
• McElroy Mountain Drive, from Cherokee Trail to Wildcat Drive
• Pine Knoll, from Valley View Drive to End
• Quail Cove Drive, from Osprey Way to Grouse Gap Drive
• Ridgeview Drive, from Cox Mountain Drive to Disharoon Drive
• Ridgeview Drive, from Disharoon Drive to Lot 8079/House 668
• Ridgeview Drive, from Lot 8079/House 668 to Water Tower
• Ridgeview Drive, from Water Tower to Toland Way
• Ridgeview Drive, from Toland Way to End
• White Oak Knoll, from Valley View Drive to End
• Wildcat Drive, from Grouse Gap Drive to McElroy Mountain Drive
• Wilderness Parkway, from Hemlock Circle to Disharoon Drive
• Wild Pansy Ridge, from Wild Pansy Circle to End
• Wolfscratch Village Fitness and Aquatics Center Parking Lot
• Wood Fern Knoll, from McElroy Mountain Drive to End
If you have any questions about the Public Works paving plan, write to askthepoa@bigcanoepoa.org or click the “Ask the POA” button after you log in to the POA website at bigcanoepoa.org.
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