Eleven Knox County bridges have deteriorated to the point of structural deficiency, or about 2 percent of the county’s 571 spans, the latest federal data show.
According to the TDOT Improve Act website, in Knox County there are four state bridges up for repair within the next three years, but only one local bridge slated for construction coming up.
The majority of the structurally deficient bridges are in North Knoxville, but there are some in communities outside of the Knoxville City limits, including one in Strawberry Plains and one in between the Halls and Heiskell communities.
The one local bridge up for repair is at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Gay Street in the Old City, which has a sufficiency rating of a 2 percent. The other half of the bridge has a sufficiency rating of 38.9 percent.
There’s no hiding the fact that this structure needs some work done very soon. Rebar is exposed, and there is crumbling under and on the bridge.
Steven Paulson, a transportation project specialist supervisor in the Bridge Inspection and Appraisal Office through the Tennessee Department of Transportation, says bridges with poor sufficiency ratings, are not necessarily falling down.
“A structurally deficient bridge is a bridge where part of the bridge is in poor condition,” Paulson explains. “It doesn’t mean it is unsafe, it just means that part of it is in need of repair.”
Part of the Jackson Avenue/Gay Street bridge has a weight limit posted for large trucks, but all parts of the bridge are still open.
The status of the Jackson Avenue/Gay Street bridge on the Improve Act website says the bridge’s status is “Right of Way,” which means the business owners near the bridge have been contacted about the proposed construction.
Troy Dixon, a graduate student at Middle Tennessee State University, recently walked across the bridge and visited a friend who works at a business along the structure.
“It’s rough! Word on the street is that the city is closing the bridge for renovation for the next two years,” Dixon explains. “My friend who works at a business close nearby says they have already been contacted about the bridge closing down and what will happen during that time.”
While Knox County does have a fair chunk of structurally deficient bridges, the percentage adds up to a little over one percent of the total number of structurally deficient bridges in Tennessee.
What is a sufficiency rating?
A sufficiency rating is a way of explaining the bridge’s sufficiency to remain in service. The ratings are on a scale of zero to 100 percent. The deck, superstructure, and substructure are also rated on this scale.
9: Excellent
8: Very good
7: Good
6: Satisfactory
5: Fair
4: Poor
3: Serious
2: Critical
1: Imminent failure
0: Failed
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
Katie Inman 