Probably Not This Year

After several years of debate, it appears that residents who travel across the “green bridge” which connects Dandridge to Chestnut Hill will have to wait a little bit longer for construction to start on a new, wider bridge. Though it was planned to have bids go out earlier this summer and for construction to begin this fall, Tennessee Department of Transportation Representative Mark Nagi said last week that the project is currently slotted to be in the October bid letting. Nagi cited on going negotiations with property owners, the completion of final structural plans and coordinating with various resource agencies to obtain water quality permits for the demolition of the old bridge and construction of the new bridge as being issues that have impacted the time line. He said that TDOT believes that their ability to answer these issues and request authorization for funding is more in line with having an October construction bid letting date.

As for the actual start date of construction, Nagi said that it generally takes a few weeks to review bids and award a contract. Following the awarding of the contract, a pre construction conference will be set and a schedule established. Preliminary, assuming that bids are let in October and there are no snafus with funding or awarding the bid, he anticipates things getting underway in early 2016.

Source: K. Depew, News Director