By NIC SRIDEJ
Editor-in-Chief
Disaster struck Demorest last week, cutting off residents and students of Piedmont alike from half of the city.
“I didn’t know what to do,” said a resident. “Almost all of Georgia Street was closed. I felt trapped.”
Construction began last week to work on a Georgia Street curb, close to the 441 intersection. Residents of Demorest had to find a scenic route to the post office, the Piedmont bookstore, and the Mason-Scharfenstein Gallery.
“All I had to do was park my car. That’s it,” lamented a frustrated student. “Parking at Piedmont is hard enough as it is. It’s impossible when half a street is gutted.”
The parking lot adjacent to Demorest Park was inaccessible, causing traffic jams on at least one back street nearby. When asked if this type of construction would occur in the near future, the company said only if something needed fixing.
The construction on Georgia Street sparked questions in the community concerning future projects and measures to be taken to alleviate the people it would affect.
“Where’s the warning? Where’s the notification? Why weren’t we notified of this construction before they took away our road for a couple of days?” said a student who missed a class because he’s scared of walking past heavy machinery. “We need to know when this kind of thing happens so we can plan our daily activities accordingly.”
Apparently, the construction company has planned a few more projects during the next couple of months. Included in the plans are reinforcing the bridge over the swamp with steel beams, rerouting the water that puddles on Georgia Street to the nearest river, and placing some street cones next to a couple of highly trafficked roads.