Graves Lane opening pushed to Dec. 3

Opening of the Graves Lane extension has been pushed to Dec. 3.

Construction started on the $6.3 million project in April. The 7,770-foot extension was supposed to be done Monday, but delays have plagued the project, including utility replacements and a change in the striping plan.

The most recent delay was caused by a chemical imbalance in the ground, which stalled landscaping. The problem is being corrected with the addition of 60 pounds of sulfur per 1,000 square feet, a job which workers will finish over the next couple of days, Project Manager Brian Roll said.

Roll said 2,000 pounds of rock still has to be poured around the landscaping, much of it by hand.

"There was no road to begin with, so what's a little time?" Roll said. "You wait a couple of weeks and you can have it done right."

Regional Transportation Commission Chairman Jon Plank agreed, saying he wasn't in a hurry to see the road opened.

"If you're out there planting a tree, that's what your mind is on, not dodging automobiles," Plank said. "That road's never been there, so what's a few more days? All it would take would be a moment of inattention from somebody working or somebody driving to kill someone. Once we open it up, it will be ready for full-bore use."

"There's an understanding that we're doing the best we can to get it done, and we'll get it done," Roll said.