Chunks of asphalt clogging a sewer line near the new McDonald’s and Walgreens on U.S. 11 were cleaned out Friday afternoon to eliminate further problems.

Picayune Public Works Director Chad Frierson said a problem near the U.S. 11 McDonald’s location that took place on Wednesday is believed to have been caused by a collection of asphalt that had somehow found its way into the sewer. Frierson said before Walgreens was put in that location there was a paved road that was removed and it is possible that the asphalt from that old road got into the sewer.

To find out where the problem lay the team backtracked all the man holes from the problem until they found the collection of asphalt in the sewer lines.

There is also some maintenance work planned for sewer lines in the city. The City of Picayune recently received a $2.5 million grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to repair crucial areas of the sewer system, said City Manager Ed Pinero.

“We’re not going to be putting in new lines,” Pinero said. “We’re going to be fixing what’s in there already.”

Frierson said that Hartman Engineering has been hired to inspect the lines in the city to find crucial areas that need attention.