TDOT: Gap Creek Road bridge project still in early stages

By Buzz Trexler

Star Correspondent

It’s been a little more than a year since the bridge crossing Gap Creek has been shut down, closing a section of the road that bears its name, and the inconvenience to drivers in that area will continue for at least two more years, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

The closure of the 76-year-old bridge has resulted in disruptive detours for some drivers – depending upon their departure and destination points – and even spawned a Change.org petition on Nov. 30, 2023, to expedite the project. As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition had 422 digital signatures.

The petition reads, in part, “Gap Creek Road is an essential artery in our town and its current state not only jeopardizes our safety but also disrupts our daily lives. We understand that infrastructure projects like these take time; however, we believe that with additional resources and proper planning, the completion date can be moved up.

“In addition to expediting the construction process, we urge local authorities to consider re-routing traffic until the project’s completion. This temporary measure would significantly reduce risks associated with navigating through a construction zone.”

Attempts to contact the Elizabethton resident who created the online petition were unsuccessful.

Prior to its closure, the average daily traffic crossing the bridge was 2,752 vehicles, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. By 2042, that number is expected to reach 4,403 vehicles per day, which is likely why the state is willing to spend $1.2 million to repair the bridge even though the bridge and roadway are the responsibility of the Carter County Highway Department.

“To my knowledge, this roadway was given over to the Carter County Highway Department when the new state route was built around 10 years ago,” Mark Nagi, TDOT Region 1 communications officer, said by email Wednesday.

Carter County Highway Department Superintendent Shannon Burchett said by email Wednesday morning his department has received a steady number of calls over the past year concerning the project. Burchett said the last information he received from TDOT was that the project is in the property acquisition and environmental permitting stages. A portion of Gap Creek is in the Cherokee National Forest and is designated by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as Exceptional Waters. As of Wednesday afternoon, no permits were found in the database.

Nagi said the project is estimated to be let in spring 2025 and completed in late 2026. When asked to compare the project involving Mary Patton Highway (state Route 362), Nagi said the construction alone on that project took three years.

“There was approximately seven years of development time to develop the plans, perform ground studies, secure environmental permits and acquire the necessary right of way to construct that project,” Nagi explained. “This project will have a significantly shorter construction time of approximately one year. The total development and construction time for this project will be approximately three years.”

Nagi said the concrete slab bridge, which was constructed in 1948, underwent a routine inspection on June 27, 2023, and was determined to be in critical condition. A bridge evaluation report was sent out on July 3, 2023, requiring it to be closed within 14 days. The bridge was closed on July 12, 2023. As a result, no through traffic is allowed from Big Springs Road to Short Coal Chute Road.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, in 2023 there were 196 bridges in Carter County. Of those, 87 were listed as “Good,” 83 “Fair,” and 26 were listed as “Poor.”

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