Petition calls for Walnut Street Bridge to close in light of growing COVID-19 concerns

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / People cross the Walnut Street Bridge on Thursday, March 26, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to practice social distancing, which they define as "remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible," people still enjoyed the Walnut Street Bridge.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / People cross the Walnut Street Bridge on Thursday, March 26, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to practice social distancing, which they define as "remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible," people still enjoyed the Walnut Street Bridge.

A petition in support of shutting down Walnut Street Bridge to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is circulating online.

As of Monday afternoon, the petition had collected more than 800 signatures and it calls for Mayor Andy Berke to address overcrowding on the bridge.

"We have shut the bridge down for construction in the past," the petition reads. "I call upon Mayor Andy Berke to do the same to protect the citizens of Chattanooga."

In the past week, Mayor Andy Berke issued an executive order mandating all non-essential businesses in the city temporarily close to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus and to encourage social distancing.

The petition refers to past weekend crowds on the bridge making "social distancing impossible" and adding that the closure would not be a disruption of a major thoroughfare.

When asked about the petition, Maura Sullivan, chief operating officer for the city of Chattanooga, said in a statement that the city is working with the Tennessee Parks and Recreation Association to ensure best practices and well-informed decisions are made around assets such as the Walnut Street Bridge.

"We will continue to monitor activity on the bridge and all of our public spaces daily, along with our regional rate of infection," the statement reads. "Given the rate at which both of these things are changing, the public's access may need to change."

In recent weeks, between coronavirus concerns and home quarantines, record numbers have been turning to parks for relief - in some cases, causing so much congestion, parks have been forced to close due to overcrowding.

Both Tennessee State Parks and Hamilton County Parks are keeping most of their outdoor spaces open to the public, but closing a number of park playgrounds, visitor centers and offices. Park officials are urging users to act responsibly with regard to social distancing and park capacity.

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