Oconee County is paying nearly $110,000 as the county’s share of the cost of repairing Orkin Drive, the main entranceway to the Caterpillar plant on the east side of Bogart.

The roadway failed shortly after the two counties accepted responsibility for it in August and September of 2013, and it was partially closed and rebuilt at the end of last year. Total cost of repair was just less than $220,000, with Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County splitting the expenses.

Athens-Clarke County engineers blamed the road failure on a bury pit of fill materials hidden beneath the surface containing old asphalt, tree stumps and branches.

A test boring conducted before the road was built had located fill at the site where the road failed, but a decision was made to go forward with the construction despite the discovery.

For more, visit Oconee County Observations.