Construction at the split at Interstates 75 and 24 won’t be complete until spring 2026, rather than the project’s original end-of-year finish date, Tennessee transportation officials said.
The contractor and state announced a delay on the I-75 portion in May, when problems arose on a railroad overpass. That portion requires construction of a multi-span bridge, which must be built while keeping highway and rail traffic beneath it moving.
The I-24 portion of the project remains on schedule, but season limitations are now playing a role in the delay, according to transportation spokesperson Rae Anne Bradley.
“Construction on I-24 has been underway since June of 2023, and all the new lanes and ramps should be opened by this fall, which is in line with the original completion date,” Bradley said in an email. “This includes the I-75 northbound to I-24 westbound ramp.”
Completion of I-75 portion of split project delayed
Construction on the I-75 portion of the project did not start until early 2024 due to required coordination efforts for the replacement of the bridge over the CSX railroad, Bradley said.
“We anticipate the railroad bridge to be completed later this year,” Bradley said. “Due to seasonal limitations, the final project completion is expected to be in spring 2026.”
(READ MORE: State allocates $246M for proposed I-24 widening to I-59)
Combined, the two phases of the project included replacement of the bridges over I-24 at Spring Creek Road, McBrien Road, South Moore Road and Belvoir Avenue, as well as a new bridge on I-24 over South Germantown Road. The I-75 bridge over South Chickamauga Creek was widened, and the remaining bridge on I-75 over the railroad is the last of the spans in the project. The interchange reconstruction also included two bridge replacements on connector ramps.
The bridges at Belvoir Avenue and South Germantown Road were completed under separate contracts that aren’t included in the cost of the larger split project.
FACTORING BRIDGES
Bridges have played a prominent role in the project from the beginning.
A month before materials for the first phase of the project began to arrive in May 2019, a bridge railing on I-75 south fell into traffic, causing injuries to at least one motorist who collided with the massive chunk of concrete. The damage was blamed on a passing big rig.
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During a routine inspection in 2024, officials found two concrete beams on the South Moore Road bridge and three beams on the McBrien Road bridge that didn’t meet construction specifications, and the planned July 2024 reopening of the bridges was delayed until the week of Thanksgiving. Cleveland, Tennessee-based Wright Brothers Construction Co., the contractor on the project, bore the cost.
Wright Brothers Construction had the winning bid on the second phase of the project in 2022 with an original anticipated completion date of late 2025. There has been no increase on the project price tag.
In May, state officials said the contractor was experiencing delays in seeking access to the railroad’s right-of-way to build the new bridge over the tracks. The CSX rail line links Nashville to Atlanta through Chattanooga, according to the rail company’s system map.
(READ MORE: State road projects in Collegedale and Cleveland officially opened)
When finished, the second phase will tie into the already completed $133.5 million first phase of the project, intended to ease the traffic flow at the interchange once all the added lanes are finished, according to the agency.
The two-phase improvement project, started in 2019, widened existing roads and ramps, increased the radiuses of ramps, reconfigured entrance and exit ramps, shifted the entire interchange to the west and modified the Tennessee Welcome Center’s traffic circulation pattern.
FUTURE TRAFFIC SNAGS
As construction continues, motorists traveling the split will encounter short-duration rolling roadblocks lasting 15 to 30 minutes during the day or night for patching potholes, guardrail repairs and other work, according to the agency’s weekly reports. Portions of the left lane on North and South Terrace between South Germantown Road and Spring Creek Road will remain closed for drainage and sewer work and retaining wall and noise wall construction.
Continuing into September, the I-24 west entrance ramp from Germantown Road has been closed for construction of noise walls and other details at the west terminus of the project. Detour signs direct drivers on North Terrace to turn left onto South Germantown Road, then left onto South Terrace, and continue left onto South Moore Road, followed by a slight left to merge onto the new entrance ramp to I-24 west.
The agency reminds drivers to use all motorist information tools and “know before you go” by checking travel conditions before leaving for any destination. Drivers can get the latest construction activity and traffic updates from the TDOT SmartWay Map or by calling 511 for statewide travel information.
Contact Southeast Tennessee reporter Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.