Dirt Being Moved For Foundation Of Putnam Jail Expansion

You may notice some heavy machinery near the Putnam County Justice Center as dirt work has begun on the jail expansion.

Sheriff Eddie Farris said over the next month, several feet of dirt in the lower parking lot of the justice center will be removed to create a foundation.

“The new building will be attached to our current facility, so that’s important that they get all that right to start with,” Farris said. “Everything seems to be on track and looking good. I haven’t hard any changes to our end date of September 2023.”

Farris said the work will have some impacts to parking. Farris said the public will now need to park in a newly paved lot on Spring Street. Farris said the sheriff’s office will park on Locust Avenue.

“We’ve got signs ordered to display where the public can park and when they can park,” Farris said. “Those should be in shortly.”

Farris said once excavated, the extra dirt will be placed at the sheriff office’s training facility on Southfork Road. Farris said it will be stored there until needed for another use.

Farris said once dirt work is completed, concrete work for the foundation will begin. The expansion will add several hundred bed spaces to the current facility.

“If the weather holds out, we have maybe three weeks of dirt work,” Farris said. “The foundation itself will consist of micro-piles which are mini concrete projections that go into the ground. It will be a big integral part of the frame itself.”

The Putnam County Commission approved a bond to pay for the project almost a year ago.