Tennessee Department of Transportation crews will begin nighttime demolition work on the I-24 bridge over Germantown Road on Sunday, March 7, according to a news release.
The work is a continuation of a TDOT bridge replacement project and will take place near mile marker 183. Crews are expected to work on demolishing and removing a median barrier and parapet walls from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights until the work is done.
Completion is projected for April 2. The work will also cause temporary lane closures and will include activity at the Exit 183 off-ramp.
During another phase of the project in May of 2020, the Times Free Press reported TDOT found that pile driving operations on Germantown Road were too loud for surrounding residential areas during nighttime hours, and due to lessened traffic amid the pandemic, the work was shifted to earlier in the day.
TDOT addressed similar concerns in the release about the upcoming efforts.
"As this work progresses, the contractor will attempt to minimize disruption. However, there may be periods of time where the demolition operations could be noisy and temporarily affect residents of nearby neighborhoods," the release said.
TDOT community relations officer Jennifer Flynn said in an email to the Times Free Press that because of the extent of lane closures needed and the high traffic volume on the bridge, contractors are only allowed to work on this upcoming demolition during the evening hours. The work in the spring last year was done on a lesser-traveled local road, so shifting the work to the day was less of a concern.
She also said that this time around work is being done to the bridge, rather than under it, which may have amplified the volume as the sound bounced off the overpass last year. Because of this and the different nature of the work, the activity will likely be less loud, but residents should still be prepared as "there could be times when this operation is noisy."
These demolition activities will prepare the site for additional closures in the spring as the new bridge is constructed.
More information about the project can be found at tdot.gov.
- Compiled by Tierra Hayes