AU moves forward with Summerville entrance repairs after Helene

By J. Ben Haynes | Staff Writer

Hurricane Helene caused millions of dollars in damage to the Augusta area on Sept. 27, 2024, including the entrance to Augusta University’s Summerville campus.

Seen by many as a symbol of the university, the left side of the entrance was destroyed when a large deodar cedar tree fell across it, blocking the four-way intersection at Walton Way and Fleming Avenue.

More than four months later, Augusta University Vice President for Facilities Ron Booth says the process is underway to restore the entrance to its original state.

“That is a high priority for us because of the visibility,” Booth said. “And it is the iconic entrance to that campus.”

Repairing the damage has presented some challenges, which Booth said have impacted negotiations with contractors bidding on the project.

“That entrance is not an easy repair because it consists of brick and ornamental iron, making it a combined-material fence,” Booth said. “To add to that, the fence and wall have a curve, which limited the number of contractors we could work with on the project.”

Because of the custom work needed to match the other side of the entrance, both the brick and ornamental ironwork will be handled by specialized contractors. Booth said that process is currently in the paperwork stage.

“We’re working with them to finalize the documentation so they can get started,” he said.

Booth confirmed that repairs on the Summerville entrance will begin in the near future.

Contact J. Ben Haynes at jamhaynes@augusta.edu.