A heavily trafficked Moore County road is expected to reopen Friday, according to state transportation officials.
Flooding from Tropical Depression Chantal shut down Midland Road at U.S. 1 Sunday evening. The Town of Southern Pines previously had no estimate on when the repairs would be completed.
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“It takes a while to figure out which way to go,” one driver, David Jackson, told WRAL.
WRAL noticed several cars making U-turns once they realized the intersection was closed.
Another driver even asked WRAL how to get around the blocked-off road.
“I’ve got a delivery about a quarter-mile up the road…it’s probably going to add a couple extra minutes to my delivery,” Jeff Solek said.
WRAL asked the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) if rain in the days following Chantal caused any delays.
“Our work is weather permitting…We're trying to get as much work as we can done, but then obviously we have evening storms coming up most nights this week,” Jonathan Rand, a spokesperson with NCDOT, said.
Just up the road, in Aberdeen, the Parks and Recreation building’s parking lots is filled with sinkholes and ripped cement.
“We've been through hurricanes before and not with this intensity,” mayor Robert Farrell told WRAL. “This was a monumental flood.”
The town also had to shut down a stretch of U.S. 1 the day after the storm as water from Aberdeen Lake receded.
“We had to bring out boats to get out to the road out there,” Farrell said.
The playground and gazebo area are also closed for cleaning. Photos show water almost reaching the top of the Gazebo.
“This is going to take a while; this is not an overnight fix,” Farell said.