- Over $1.6 million will be used to pave roads within the Breedlove neighborhood for the first time since its inception.
- The Breedlove family who has been there for over six decades along roads that's never been paved before.
- Watch the story to hear what neighbors have to say after hearing that big changes are on the way.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
These roads have only known dirt and sand.. Which is why neighbors in the Breedlove neighborhood are saying it's been a long time coming after learning what the county has planned.
"An upgrade with pavement to the roads… that would be a major plus. [It's] greatly needed in the area… [It's] been needed for years,” said Tryrone Breedlove, a Breedlove neighborhood resident
Much needed improvements are on the way for families in this neighborhood.
"I mean a car could flood out.. Or it can just run over into a ditch. There have been times in the past when people have done that,” according to Breedlove neighborhood resident, Greg Breedlove.
The Breedlove neighborhood has been in need of upgrades to its infrastructure for decades... so it didn't take much for the power of Hurricane Michael to bring even more significant damage to area homes.
"Sometimes he [ my uncle] has to take the tractor and scrape the roads because they're so bumpy,” said Greg. “ Once we have bad rain or bad flooding or anything like that… It's always been a challenge."
Monroe Jones owns Monroe Mechanics. He says that issues with drainage have been so bad he's reached out to the county for a solution.
SOT: Monroe Jones, Monroe Mechanics
"I asked them if they could pull the ditches. I've called them several times. They said they were going to come and pull the ditches and that's never been done."
Change is on the way ... as Decatur County prepares to use a $1.6 mill. community block grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
That money will be used to address things like those infrastructure issues with storm drains that's often-caused flood issues.
And paving roads which is something Duron Breedlove says has been a long time coming.
"I'm glad that it's happening now for my kids that's growing up,” said Duran.
Additional upgrades on the books include plans to eliminate problems with dust pollution, mosquito infestation, and hazardous driving to make sure the roads are accessible to school buses, mail delivery and emergency vehicles.
The county expects this infrastructure work to go until 2026.
