I-81 to close while bridge repairs made
From Staff ReportsOriginally published: November 11. 2009 3:01AM
Last modified: November 11. 2009 12:02AM
The Tennessee Department of Transportation will perform emergency bridge beam repairs to the I-81 northbound and southbound bridges over U.S. 11E at exit 23 in Greene County over the next two weekends.
TDOT crews will close the I-81 northbound bridge at 10 p.m. Saturday to begin repairs and will reopen I-81 north by 10 a.m. Sunday. Crews will make repairs to the I-81 southbound bridge the following weekend beginning at 10 p.m. Nov. 21 until 10 a.m. Nov. 22. During each closure traffic will be diverted down the off ramp at exit 23, across U.S. Highway 11E and back on to I-81.
Three cracks, two in a bridge beam on the northbound bridge and one in a beam on the southbound bridge, were discovered by a work crew involved in the ongoing $1.2 million dollar rehabilitation project that includes bridge deck repairs, painting and the installation of an over height detection system on U.S. Highway 11E to keep trucks with large loads from hitting the bridges.
TDOT has been in close contact with the North Carolina Department of Transportation about the repair project. TDOT and NCDOT will not alter the I-40 detour during the repairs being made due to the rock slide.
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