Hull leaders hope to award paving contract in September

The city hopes to approve bids at its September council meeting.

Using SPLOST money, Hull plans to repave a pair of dead-end roads off Hwy. 72 — Yarbrough and Cornelia — which are deteriorating.

“We need to address the problem now before it becomes a gully, wash-out type thing,” Mayor Paul Elkins said.

Hull also wants to install speed breaks on Pope Miller Road, which the council says is a popular route for speeders.

The city has already collected some bids on these projects, but the specifications for the jobs weren’t all the same, so the council opted to re-bid.

Councilman Wayne Melton said he’s found one company that will accept material costs as a down payment and then finance the remaining balance at zero percent interest. The city would then make monthly payments out of its SPLOST fund until the work is paid off.

Melton said Hull should consider asking all companies during the re-bidding process if they can offer a comparable deal.

As for the speed breakers on Pope Miller Road, Melton noted that they must meet certain specifications to be eligible for future county repaving. The councilman pointed to speed breaks on Madison Street in Danielsville near Madison County High School as an example of county-standard speed breaks.

He added that he’s heard positive feedback regarding this project from residents on Pope Miller who feel endangered by excessive speeders.

“Every one of them is ecstatic about the new speed breaks being put in … The traffic is just horrendous,” Melton said. “A lady across the street told me she almost got hit.”

The council also discussed the possibility of using SPLOST to add sidewalks along Glenn Carrie Road once the roads are repaved.

Two months ago, councilman Paul Cook found three bids to install sidewalks from Hwy. 72 to the entrance of Hidden Falls subdivision, the lowest being $29,000.