Businesses feel impact of Gay Street Bridge closure as city awaits inspection report

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — On either side of the Gay Street Bridge there are now concrete barriers stopping traffic along with road closed signs. For more than two weeks now , residents of South Knoxville and those who frequent the area have had to find other ways to get South of the river.

Luckily, there are two other bridges that cross the river. However, it has impacted those who live and work in South Knoxville.

The Gay Street Bridge, a historical marker in Downtown Knoxville is closed leaving the downtown to South Knoxville connection changed for the time being. Longtime resident and current SoKno Throwback and Threads owner DeAnne Thomas said she is feeling the impact of the closure.

“I was kind of shocked because we do kind of get some downtown traffic during the lunch hour,” Thomas said. “Some people walk down here for lunch and we do get some shoppers during that time. I think not a lot of people use James White Parkway a lot, so it really has slowed the traffic down here a little bit.”

Christopher Morton owns businesses including South Coast Pizza and Alliance Brewing. The closure of the bridge has cutoff his main way to downtown.

“I cross that bridge. I’m a pedestrian. I have a bicycle. I’m on foot. I cross that bridge. That is my main artery to Downtown Knoxville,” Morton said. “Our business has not really been impacted but the residents that live around here it has really impacted them and it’s very much an inconvenience.”

One South Knoxville business owner saying it now takes her longer to get to work and there has also been a decline in traffic at her store.

“With it being so backed up on Henley St. I now have to sit through the Blount Avenue red light for like four cycles just to turn left. It’s definitely added to the commute time,” Mood Ring Vintage owner Carly Baskette said. “I have noticed a little bit of a slow down in traffic as well. It hasn’t been a huge drop off but it has been a noticeable decrease.”

6 News spoke with spokespeople for the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the City of Knoxville this morning about when we might learn more about the length of the closure. Both saying they are waiting on the final inspection report before commenting further on the state of the Gay Street bridge.

We have been told once the report is complete, we will have more information about a repair timeline and associated costs.

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