Laurens County Begins North Laurens Culvert Replacement

Laurens County, South Carolina, September 30, 2025

News Summary

Laurens County has begun replacing an undersized culvert on Chapman Road with a 16 feet 2 inches by 5 feet 1 inch aluminum box culvert, including grading, drainage work, and paving. Additional stormwater improvements at the Sullivan Road crossing will include green stormwater solutions to reduce erosion, filter pollutants, and improve infiltration. The project is funded in part by a $1,576,005 ASIP award with a $161,268 county cost share. SCOR will manage day-to-day construction and Laurens County will assume ownership and maintenance upon completion. Work is expected to last six to eight months and protect against a 25-year, 24-hour storm event.

Laurens County Stormwater Improvement Project – North Laurens Culverts moves into construction

Construction began the week of September 15, 2025 on the Laurens County Stormwater Improvement Project – North Laurens Culverts. The project replaces an undersized culvert along Chapman Road with a 16 feet 2 inches by 5 feet 1 inch aluminum box culvert and includes grading, drainage work and paving/overlay to support the culvert replacement. Additional stormwater improvements are planned at the Sullivan Road crossing.

Funding, management and ownership

Project engineering, design and construction are funded in part by a $1,576,005 award from SCOR’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stormwater Infrastructure Program (ASIP). Laurens County is providing a cost share of $161,268 for the project. A Notice to Proceed for the project was issued on July 21, 2025, and SCOR is responsible for day-to-day project management. Upon completion, Laurens County will take ownership of and maintain the drainage improvements upon project completion.

Why the work is needed

The project upgrades a closed tunnel culvert under Chapman Road because the existing Chapman Road culvert could not accommodate present and anticipated levels of stormwater runoff. The work will upgrade the existing culvert to convey a larger quantity of stormwater under the road and is designed to protect against flood risks from a 25-year, 24-hour storm event. The County’s ASIP application states that stream crossings in northern Laurens County routinely flood, resulting in roadway closures, damage to county roads and stream bank erosion.

Design approach

The project uses a combination of natural (green) and manmade stormwater infrastructure. Project work includes green stormwater solutions intended to reduce erosion caused by flooding, filter pollutants from floodwaters and help stormwater infiltrate into the ground, alongside traditional culvert upsizing and drainage works. The project scope includes grading, drainage, and paving/overlay to support the culvert replacement.

Officials and local context

Melissa D. Ferqueron, Laurens County Interim Administrator, said the county is moving forward because effectively managing stormwater is a critical aspect of ensuring the safety of residents and noted that storm events as recent as Hurricane Helene have demonstrated the necessity of building infrastructure adequately suited to address future hazards. Representative Mark N. Willis noted that given new developments and growth around the project it is positive that the County is acting proactively to reduce the risk of future flood events. Ben Duncan, Chief Resilience Officer, emphasized the inclusion of work beyond just upsizing the existing culverts and highlighted that green stormwater solutions will reduce erosion, filter pollutants, and help stormwater infiltrate into the ground.

Schedule and scale

Construction is anticipated to last 6 to 8 months. To date, SCOR has committed approximately $65 million in ARPA Stormwater Infrastructure Program funds for improvements across South Carolina. The Notice to Proceed was issued on July 21, 2025, and work began the week of September 15, 2025.

Regional storm impacts and public safety context

Hurricane Helene / Tropical Storm Helene has claimed multiple lives across South Carolina. Statewide, 41 people have died in South Carolina as a result of Helene. The National Hurricane Center said Helene is the most deadly in South Carolina since Hurricane Hugo in 1989, when 35 were killed. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety confirmed five people have died in Anderson County related to Tropical Storm Helene. The Department of Public Safety confirmed 20 deaths in the Upstate region. There have been eight deaths in Spartanburg County related to the storm. There have been seven deaths in Greenville County related to the storm. There have been six deaths in Aiken County related to the storm. There have been two deaths in Chester County related to the storm. There has been one death in Chesterfield County related to the storm. There has been one death in Greenwood County related to the storm. There have been three deaths in Newberry County related to the storm. There has been one death in Richland County related to the storm. There have been three deaths in Saluda County related to the storm. There has been one death in York County related to the storm. There have been three deaths in Laurens County related to the storm. Two people were struck by falling trees in their homes. One person died in a morning head-on collision. One individual was swept away by stormwater. Karen Denise McCall, 60, of Anderson, was killed Friday morning when her car was swept away on a flooded Harbin Road. A helicopter search team discovered Karen Denise McCall’s overturned Toyota sedan Saturday in a wooded area near the road. Christine Lynn Schmeiske, 55, died when a large tree fell across the center of her home at 419 W. Whitner in Anderson. Christine Lynn Schmeiske was trapped under heavy debris and pronounced dead at the scene. Sandy Lee Fisher, 54, of Anderson, died at 18 Williams Road when a tree fell through her home. Sandy Lee Fisher was found under debris.

Weather notes

Considerable cloudiness. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 74 F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Updated: September 30, 2025 @ 6:04 am.

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 62 F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Updated: September 30, 2025 @ 5:44 am.

What to expect during construction

Residents near Chapman Road and Sullivan Road should expect construction activity including earthwork for grading, installation of the new aluminum box culvert, drainage channel adjustments, and paving or overlay work to restore road surfaces. Traffic controls and temporary detours may be put in place as needed during installation of the larger culvert and related drainage work. Upon completion, Laurens County will assume maintenance responsibility for the improved crossings.

FAQ

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Key project features

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

Additional Resources

• GoLaurens: Laurens County Stormwater Improvement Project — North Laurens Culverts Underway
• Wikipedia: Stormwater
• FOX Carolina: SCOR Stormwater Improvement Construction Begins North Laurens County
• Google Search: SCOR ARPA Stormwater Infrastructure Program Laurens County
• Greenville News: Hurricane Helene impacts in Upstate South Carolina
• Google Scholar: Hurricane Helene 2025 South Carolina
• My Clinton News: Clinton will be looking for a new city manager
• Encyclopedia Britannica: City manager
• GoLaurens: Arrest report for September 27
• Google News: Laurens County arrest report

Author: Construction TX News

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