With visible progress now underway, Bulloch County officials say the long-closed Nevils-Denmark Road is on track for a mid-September reopening—marking a major milestone in a project that has frustrated residents for nearly a year. In a recent video update, County Communications Director Dal Cannady and County Engineer Ron Nelson provided a behind-the-scenes look at construction efforts now fully underway at the site, where a washed-out culvert from Tropical Storm Debby left a deep scar in the roadway and forced months of detours.
Nevils-Denmark Road
The August 2024 storm caused heavy flooding in the southern end of the county, overwhelming the original double-barrel box culvert and washing away large sections of Nevils-Denmark Road just south of Highway 46. The structure, classified as a bridge culvert due to its size, was completely compromised. Dirt beneath it was scoured out by several feet, causing the culvert to rotate and shift out of position.
Since then, county staff have worked through FEMA coordination, engineering design, and contract approvals to prepare a permanent fix. Now, the site is in active construction. Crews from Reeves Construction are building a cast-in-place, triple-barrel box culvert, designed with added capacity and durability to withstand future flooding events. Unlike precast alternatives, the structure is being poured in segments directly on site, with 40-foot sections of the floor poured at a time before walls and the top are completed.
The new culvert will feature three 8-by-7-foot channels, larger than the original, along with erosion-resistant features like an apron and updated wing walls. The entire structure spans over 500 linear feet of roadway and is being treated as an industrial-grade project due to its complexity.
Despite the extended closure, officials say the schedule remains intact. The project is still targeting a mid-September 2025 reopening, weather permitting. The $924,900 cost is being covered by T-SPLOST, with federal reimbursement pending.
Aerial drone footage, captured by James Pope of Bulloch County Planning and Development, showcases the scale of the construction zone and offers residents a clearer picture of the work being done. Officials emphasized that while the work above ground is now visible, many months of planning and engineering happened behind the scenes to make the current progress possible.
Cypress Lake Road
Cypress Lake Road remains closed at the Dry Branch bridge, which was damaged in a vehicle crash in February 2025. The structure, already limited by a reduced weight rating prior to the crash, was deemed unsafe for traffic and shut down entirely.
Design work is now underway for a complete bridge replacement. Engineering firm Heath & Lineback is leading the design, which will include two 12-foot travel lanes, full-width shoulders, guardrails, and no posted weight limit—making it suitable for heavy farm equipment, trucks, and buses. Preliminary plans are expected by August 2025, with full design completion scheduled for April 2026. Construction would begin following that timeline.
Funding for the bridge will come from a $2.25 million Local Road Assistance Program (LRAP) grant from GDOT. The county expects the project to remain on a roughly two-year timeline, given the permitting and procurement phases still ahead.
Country Club Road
A portion of Country Club Road between Bent Tree Road and Hood Road has been closed since May 12, 2025, after a single-day rainfall event dropped nearly 7 inches of rain in 24 hours, causing slope failure and roadway loss. While the location had sustained earlier flood damage during Tropical Storm Debby in August 2024 and a second storm in November, both times it was inspected and deemed safe for traffic. The May storm, however, triggered unsafe conditions that forced an immediate closure.
County Engineering held a scoping meeting with Kimley-Horn and Associates on May 14, and the firm has since submitted a proposal for full design and engineering services to permanently repair the damaged section. Their scope includes surveying, geotechnical studies, hydraulic modeling, FEMA coordination, permitting, and final construction plans. The work will follow a format similar to the Brannen Pond Road and Nevils-Denmark drainage projects. The rain event that happened earlier this year really helped engineers see the progress of these box-culverts.
Design and engineering services are budgeted at $234,900, with final plans expected by late January 2026 with a completion date of August 2027. The site has been reviewed and qualified by FEMA for reimbursement once funding becomes available.
GW Oliver Road
A portion of GW Oliver Road, located between Sinkhole Road and GW Oliver Spur Road, has been closed since August 6, 2024, after Tropical Storm Debby caused severe flooding and structural failure at the Little Lotts Creek crossing. The existing system of seven 72-inch reinforced concrete pipes was overwhelmed, leading to extensive scouring, settlement, and a full roadway collapse. Additional storms in November 2024 and May 2025 further worsened the damage, prompting a long-term closure for public safety.
At their July 1, 2025 meeting, the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $424,500 contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates for full design and engineering services to replace the failed crossing with a new multi-span bridge and improved roadway. The project includes topographic surveys, geotechnical studies, hydraulic modeling, final construction documents, permitting, and construction-phase services.
The project has been reviewed and qualified by FEMA for full mitigation reimbursement, meaning federal funds will cover the cost of design once required documentation is submitted. To maintain eligibility, the Hydrology & Hydraulics Report and Opinion of Probable Construction Cost must be delivered to FEMA by July 25, 2025.
Final design plans and construction documents are expected by March 2026, with the new bridge to be built to modern standards and better equipped to handle future flooding at the creek crossing. The project is shooting for August 2027 as a completion date.
