AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – It’s taken months of work, but the last section of the popular canal trail is reopening Friday.“We’ve shored up the areas that we feel like are unsafe. We ask everybody to stay on the main path. Follow that. Use it for exercise, recreation bird watching, all the things you like,” said Wes Byne, Utilities Department Director.The section from the pumping station to I-20 has been closed since Helene, due to the damage along the levee from the storm. The repair costs are big, and getting bigger.
“So far we’re about $5, million into it and we anticipate the full repair cost to be around $32 million,” said Byne. Russ Gambill of the Canal Authority is happy to about the trail reopening, but not happy about the commission’s 50 percent cut to the Authority’s budget.“It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be cutbacks, they’re unavoidable,” said Gambill.The Canal Authority requested $600,000, but got $74,000 instead.The Authority generates revenue selling hydroelectric power, but starting in January, the city will be drying up this valuable revenue stream.“And I’m not blaming the Utilities Department. There are necessary repairs that have to be made to the canal, to the banks, and when they do that, they have to drain the canal and when they drained the canal, we don’t generate any revenues. So the $600,000 was to make up for the anticipated lost revenue we’re going to experience,” said Gambill.With the towpath reopening, it’s the best of times for canal visitors, but it’s not the best of times for the Canal Authority…