- The Crawfordville Highway Widening project is still behind schedule.
- Neighbors are asking for answers.
- Watch the video to see the reason for delays and how much work is left to do.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"It's troubling that they're not done with it yet I want with the reasons are I don't know."
On Thursday when I spoke to FDOT they said the project is expected to be done early 2025, but in March when I asked them they said it would be be done late 2024. The project started in spring 2020.
WATCH KENZIE'S REPORT ON THE PROJECT FROM MARCH:
John Quinton drives the road often and says it's often backed up with traffic.
"I try to avoid it in the early morning or late afternoon because it's terrible. The traffic is backed up so badly in both directions I don't have people get to and from work without getting really frustrated."
FDOT says the construction firm has been working on the project for 1,567 days so far.
In May FDOT told the county they agreed to grant Anderson Colombia 60 days to complete the work before penalties start.
They were waiting on a cabinet to arrive. If the cabinet comes on September 1, the contractor has around the first week of November to complete the installation, plus days for inclement weather.
The liquidated damages on the project are around $10,000 per day if the work is not complete.
Liquidated damages are applied when the contractor doesn't finish the project within allowable contract time.
FDOT told me "It is undetermined at this time when and if the assessment of liquidated damages will occur."
Quinton and other neighbors I've spoken to throughout this process hope to get more of an explanation about the delays.
"I would hope that those in the legislature that are watching out for our best interest, our senator and a representative and governor's office would take a look at these projects and see why when they start them they don't finish them."
The work on widening the road is designed to improve safety along this hurricane evacuation route, ease congestion, and encourage economic development in Wakulla County.
