Workers were scrambling across McBrien Road’s new bridge over Interstate 24 in Chattanooga, preparing the span for concrete.
The scene unfolded Thursday as the second phase of the $161 million Interstate-75/I-24 split project nears the halfway point. The phase includes new bridges on South Moore Road and McBrien.
“The contractor is on schedule to complete both bridges by January,” Gracie Shamblin, spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said. “The next step for both bridges will be construction of the bridge approaches.”
The bridges, originally set to reopen in July, were delayed after the discovery of problems with five beams.
Shamblin said the bridges will differ from the spans over I-24 on Spring Creek Road, completed in phase 1 of the split project in 2021.
“They will have wider sidewalks and a pedestrian fence instead of a handrail,” she said.
Crews on the exit ramp from I-24 east to South Moore Road are scheduled to take a significant step forward over the weekend with a slight shift in traffic to accommodate construction of the new ramp surface, Shamblin said.
“The ramps for South Moore to I-24 west and South Moore to I-24 east will remain closed until the later stages of the project, when the interstate is returned to its final configuration,” Shamblin said. “This should take place sometime next summer.”
To perform the work, crews will close the South Moore Road exit ramp from I-24 west to South Moore Road from 9 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. Monday, according to the state agency.
(READ MORE: ‘Gateway to Chattanooga’ landscaping project at Fourth Street begins)
Work is also continuing along the other half of the phase 2 corridor on I-75 between the split and East Brainerd Road. That portion of the project includes new lanes, a new bridge over a railroad and more drainage work.
The bridges will reopen early next year, and the project remains on schedule for a late-2025 finish.
For some, that news couldn’t be more welcome.
Bekah Massengale has worked at A&A Management of Tennessee on the corner of McBrien Road and North Terrace for the past seven years, and her commute to the office has never been more challenging since the bridges have been closed.
“It’s taken a while, and we’ll be happy when it’s done,” Massengale said as she watched a work crew through the window. “We have a woman here who lives in Ringgold, and she has a daughter she has to pick up.”
The Brainerd-East Ridge disconnect over the McBrien and South Moore bridges has worn out its welcome. Staff members at A&A now use backroad shortcuts to reach Spring Creek Road, East Ridge and destinations in Georgia, avoiding a long detour.
“I’m hoping this is going to be something that’ll make it better when it’s finished,” Massengale said.
PHASE 1
Phase 1 saw the $133.5 million reconstruction of the central portion of the I-75/I-24 interchange known for the backups and frequent crashes at the state line. Because of the cost, the project was divided into two phases, with a couple of side contracts for the replacement of the Belvoir Avenue bridge and the I-24 bridges over Germantown Road.
In 2017, then-state Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer called the split “about the worst intersection we got in the state at this moment.”
Construction started in May 2018 to revamp the split’s 1960s-era design.
(READ MORE: Reopening of McBrien, South Moore bridges delayed to early 2025)
The state has future plans for improvements along the I-24 corridor in Chattanooga from the interchange with Interstate 59 in Georgia to the interchange with U.S. Highway 27 near downtown Chattanooga, according to the agency’s website. The project, divided into three phases from east to west, is intended to increase capacity, relieve congestion and improve operations by widening I-24 from four to six lanes and is scheduled to begin in 2027.
In unassociated work a little farther north on I-75, crews on the Hamilton Place Boulevard interchange project will close the Shallowford Road exit from I-75 north from 9 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to the state agency.
Drivers encountering road work projects are encouraged to use caution and expect delays. Signs will direct motorists through the work zone.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.