Old sections of steel, lower left, rests on the newly-constructed US Highway 41 bridge over the Tennessee River at Haletown in this September 2014 photo.Map
New bridge
The new $21.5 million bridge over the Tennessee River on U.S. Highway 41 at Haletown, Tenn., was officially opened this morning replacing the 1929-era steel truss span alongside.
Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer joined state and local official to celebrate the official opening of the newly-completed bridge at Nickajack Lake in Marion County, Tenn.
"We are pleased to be here today to celebrate the opening of this important structure with our local partners and the citizens of Marion County," Commissioner Schroer said. "This bridge will not only serve the citizens of Marion County, it will be an asset to the entire region, as U.S. Hwy. 41 is an important route that is often used as an alternate for I-24."
The new concrete and steel structure has two 12-foot lanes and full 10-foot shoulders and replaces a nearby 1929 truss bridge. The contractor on the $21.5 million project is Britton Bridge, LLC of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.
Work began on the bridge replacement project in March 2011, and it was originally slated for completion in 2013, but unforeseen issues with rock beneath the river near the site of some of the new bridge piers added more than a year of additional work to the project and also forced the closure of the existing bridge, which was originally planned to remain open until the new bridge was complete.
The old 1929 truss bridge was permanently closed to all traffic on January 9, 2012.
Madge Elizabeth Boggild, who as a small child, rode with her father in the first vehicle ever to cross the 1929 truss bridge, was on hand to become the first to cross the new span. In January 2012, Boggild was in the last vehicle across the truss bridge before it was closed to traffic.
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.