Dump trucks bring fill dirt alongside the existing U.S. Highway 41 bridge over the Tennessee River in Marion County, Tenn. Britton Bridge LLC is the contractor.Map
U.S. Highway 41 bridge
Starting Thursday and continuing for several days, most Marion County drivers will have to take Interstate 24 to cross the Tennessee River while workers conduct core drilling and testing en route to a new bridge on U.S. Highway 41, according to state highway officials.
The closure will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday so crews can work safely in the river underneath the old bridge, Tennessee Department of Transportation officials said in a news release.
The closure is for geotechnical work for the construction of a new, $21.5 million multi-span steel plate girder bridge that will replace the old Marion Memorial Bridge over Highway 41's leg across the Tennessee River, officials said.
Once traffic moves to the new bridge, the old bridge will be demolished.
TDOT officials said detours will be posted throughout the closure.
For more travel and construction information, visit the TDOT SmartWay web site at www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway or call 511 from any land-line or cell phone.
Correction: August 3, 2011
The article misstated the duration the bridge would be closed. It will be closed for several days, not for the entire month of August.