Road work done on Avenue D
Road crews pave Avenue D on Monday, August 21, 2023. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
This past spring, extensive work was done on the water/sewer system on Avenue D in Darlington. After its completion, and the space was filled in, it was necessary to let it sit and let the ground “settle” for several weeks before paving could be done. Otherwise, you may have “dips” and uneven spaces in the pavement. Since the ground has now settled, road crews are paving it. All of the work (the water/sewer repairs AND the paving of the street) is being paid for out of Water Department revenues. These revenues grew after recent increases to the Water fees, specifically to pay for such repairs and upgrades, which are necessary. City Manager John Payne was on hand, speaking to the road crew to assess the progress of the work. More work will be started this week on Avenue E, as well.
Darlington Mayor Curtis Boyd stated, “The repairs on Avenue D are being fully paid for with city funds. Nobody likes to raise rates, but without the increase several years ago, we would not have been able to fund this much needed project in Ward 1 because the money would not have been there. The repairs on Avenue E were primarily paid for with grant funds, but we have used part of our American Rescue Plan funds to pay the match requirement. We inherited an outdated and run down water and sewer system, and we are working daily to make much needed repairs and perform preventive maintenance across the entire city. This will ensure that we have the infrastructure needed to grow Darlington.”