Street and Transportation Department
Street Department
The Street Department has 12 employees, 1 Manager, 1 Asst. Manager, 2 Equipment Operators, 4 Maintenance Technicians, and 4 Laborers. There are 100 plus miles of streets and 22 plus miles of sidewalks to be maintained by the Street Department Each street has a right of way that belongs to the City that is maintained by the Street Dept. which include street repairs, sidewalk repairs grass cutting, street sign maintenance and tree maintenance. The Street Dept. is also responsible for curb and gutters and storm drain maintenance. The Street Department maintains 200 acres at the City of Covington Airport that has to be mowed on a regular basis to keep the runway lights in clear view. The Street Department works with Covington Main Street with blocking off streets when they have events for the public. They also work with the Newton County Clean and Beautiful by furnishing tools when there is a group of volunteers wanting to clean Parks inside the City Limits.
The Transportation Department
The Transportation Department was set up 4 years ago from part of the Engineering duties which covered GDOT projects. Due to the heavy load that Engineering had at that time there was no time to spend on specialized projects. Terry and I moved to the City Hall and our first project was to coordinate the utilities for the Alcovy Rd. / Hwy. 142 / I-20 widening project. This consisted of mapping existing lines on the DOT plans and designing the locations of the utilities that had to be salvaged or relocated. After construction started we would coordinate the activities with road contractor and utility contractors to relocate before or during the time that the road contractor is doing his excavation. This project is nearing the end in July 2009 and thanks to the good working relationship and communication of all the utility contractors gas, power, water, sewer, ATT, Ga. Power, Snapping Shoals, GDOT Engineers, utility locators and the road contractor we were able to do this project with only minor hits in the 2 ½ years of excavation.
During the past 4 years the department has been taking on more and more tasks. The next project that is on the heels of the above being finished is the Hwy. 142 / Hwy. 278 widening project which we have been working on for a long time to get utilities located, mapped and redesigned. We also have been working on the roundabout which will soon be bid for construction.
Resurfacing of streets is not done at random. The streets are first rated by the street department for deterioration. Each year those needing repair are listed and turned into the GDOT for possible resurfacing under the Local Assistance Road Program (LARP). The DOT rates them under their rating sheet and then only approximately ½ mile of two lane road/streets are chosen to resurface. The City will supplement each year from our rating list other streets to resurface at the same time the LARP streets are paved. Other streets that are reconditioned may be done under the SPLOST program.
Sidewalks are a number one concern for the City in that more citizens are walking again now for exercise or pleasure. We are nearing completion of another State Aide project to revitalize the existing sidewalks around the city. The sidewalks are walked, marked for hazard and are either ground by the street department, dug up and replaced and in some cases trees are removed that was causing the problem. Handicap ramps and detectables have been added to a lot of the intersections for easier access to the streets. Crosswalks have been improved, added and with the help of the GDOT handicap access was added from the outside of the square to the Center on two sides.
I have named just a few projects that the Transportation Dept. coordinates. There are many more and from time to time we will give examples and enclose pictures on the web site of these special projects.
We also are in charge of having a biweekly inspection performed at the Covington Municipal Airport and reports generated of all the taxiway and runway lights. Our Street Dept. and Maintenance Dept. works closely with us to keep the security and acres of grassed mowed and sprayed in order that we will have an airport that the City, Corporate, State and future Industrial prospects will be proud of when flying in and out of the airport. The City and State are currently in Contract to rehabilitate the taxiway, runway, move the fuel farm off the tarmac and tie down area, repave all the tie down area, move the beacon light and add taxiways to the future Southeast expansion.
If you have safety concerns within the right of way of the city streets, pedestrian safety at intersections or on the sidewalks, potholes or sinkholes to report or traffic signal pedestrian light or signal lights out please call the customer service department and they will direct the call to the correct department. Customer service number is 770-385-2000.
Manager: William T. Skinner Ph. 770-385-2094
Asst: Terrel Savage Ph. 770-385-2181
PLEASE OBSERVE ALL CONSTRUCTION SIGNS AND DRIVE SLOWER THROUGH THESE ZONES
WATCH OUT FOR THE WORKERS AND LET THEM LIVE