Location of South Crest Road bridge on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga.
The South Crest Road bridge spans Interstate 24 atop Missionary Ridge.The South Crest Road bridge will close Wednesday and remain closed for 10 months while the Tennessee Department of Transportation completes repairs.
The tall bridge spans Interstate 24 and East Main Street and connects the southern half of Missionary Ridge to the northern half. The repair job — which will cost $1.6 million — will replace the entire bridge deck, parapets and joints, according to TDOT.
Because of the way the bridge was built, there’s no way to keep the bridge open during the repairs. East Main Street also will be closed during the first phase of the project, but should reopen in spring 2015.
Additionally, some lanes of I-24 will need to be closed at various points during the project, according to TDOT. The lane closures will only happen between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., TDOT said.
About 943 cars actually cross the bridge every day, said Heather Jensen, TDOT spokeswoman, and about 106,000 cars pass under the South Crest Road bridge on I-24 every day.