Crews Work To Save Holly Springs Street From Forecast Rains

Town officials said they feared Lockley Road -- damaged nearly two weeks ago when remnants from Tropical Storm Alberto moved through the state -- would wash away again when forecast heavy rains move through the area on Tuesday.

"There could be further damage with all the rain we've got coming over the next couple days, and we want to make sure nothing happens to the road in the meantime," said Holly Springs public information officer Mark Andrews.

When Fran hit North Carolina in 1996, a pipe burst and cut Lockley Road in half. Issues about whose responsibility it was to fix the road delayed its reopening until 2004.

When it did reopen, the town of Holly Springs agreed to take over maintenance, but the formal transfer from the North Carolina Department of Transportation never took place, meaning Lockley Road is still the state's responsibility to repair.

But the DOT said Monday that crews are working to repair at least eight other washed-out roads and that Lockley Road was currently not a top priority because residents have another way out of the neighborhood and that there is no immediate safety concern.

Residents near Lockley Road area said they hope the town's preparations would have the road reopened sooner than it was after Fran.

"It won't be seven years," Andrews said.