A project to fully renovate Max Lockwood Drive began earlier this week with the beginnings of establishing a driveway off Fair Road connecting to the rear parking lot of the Honey Bowen Building.

The $1.36 million project is expected to take about six months, according to Brad Deal, the city of Statesboro’s director of Public Works & Engineering and the city engineer. Ellis Wood Contracting is doing the work, he said.

“The project is mostly on Max Lockwood Drive,” he said. “We're going to basically tear up the current pavement and put some thicker pavement in there. The original pavement was too thin.

“Also, we're adding curbs and gutters and drainage – specifically a new drainage pipe and new drain inlets will be installed. There are some existing drainage problems there, especially around the Honey Bowen Building where the water comes off of the El Sombrero parking lot.”

Deal said the project that began with the Fair Road driveway into the Honey Bowen parking lot will be completed in sections. Once the driveway is open, Deal said the next phase will address the shopping center parking lot adjacent to Max Lockwood Drive in front of the Honey Bowen Building.

Deal said rainwater runoff from the parking lot sometimes causes flooding issues at the front entrance area of the Honey Bowen Building.

Once work begins there, the Fair Road entrance to the one-way Max Lockwood Drive will be closed, requiring people accessing the Honey Bowen Building or using the tennis or pickleball courts at the Sue Oertley Facility to use the Honey Bowen’s back parking lot.

The final phase will include the full repaving of Max Lockwood and the installation of curbing, gutters and drainage along the length of the road to Zetterower Avenue.

“I think originally this project just started out as a resurfacing project, and then we determined that it would make sense to go ahead and correct a lot of the drainage before we resurface it,” Deal said.

Without many rain delays or other unpredictable holdups, Deal expects the renovated Max Lockwood Drive to open before the end of the year.