Motorists who use the U.S. Highway 41 truss bridge that spans the Tennessee River in Marion County need to prepare for temporary detours.
After discovering corrosion on the bridge Thursday, the Tennessee Department of Transportation shut it down to repair the damage and look for more.
"It's definitely a precaution," TDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Flynn said. "We would rather err on the side of caution and just be safe than sorry."
Detour signs have been posted nearby, she said.
Repairing the bridge is a "very important priority" and if no other areas need work, the bridge could be reopened in "a few days," Flynn said. TDOT plans to replace the bridge eventually with a wider one.
The corrosion was discovered after a scheduled inspection, she said, adding that Tennessee bridges typically are inspected on two-year cycles.
The sooner the bridge is fixed the better, said Linda Castle, owner of Anchor Inn Bait & Tackle. Castle's business is near the bridge and its closure is "cutting off traffic," she said.
This weekend is an especially bad time because of a local fishing competition, she said.
"This is not a good weekend to do this," Castle said. "I know it's dangerous, but this is one of my biggest weekends of the whole year."
The Outboard Dragboat Association's world championship races are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Marion County Park, near the bridge. Derek Sisk, president of the Greater Jasper Jaycees, which sponsors the event, said the races will be held as scheduled on Nickajack Lake.
Flynn said TDOT "regret[s] any inconvenience" caused by repairs, "but our job is to protect the traveling public and to ensure the bridge is safe."
A bidding process will begin in December to find a company to build a new bridge, Flynn said.
Marion County Sheriff Ronnie Burnett said the sheriff's department uses the Highway 41 bridge "probably more than anybody" because of patrols. He said authorities have responded to a number of accidents because of how narrow the bridge is, though none of them were "bad wrecks."
"We've had a lot of incidents over the years where it's so narrow that when cars pass each other ... the cars hit," Burnett said. "It's probably time for [a new bridge]."
Local truss bridges
* Walnut Street Bridge: Constructed 1889-1891; closed in 1978 because of poor condition; refurbished and reopened for pedestrian used in 1993
* Market Street Bridge: Constructed 1914-1917; repaired 2005-2007
* U.S. Highway 41 bridge in Marion County: Opened 1929; repaired 1966; repaired 2010 (ongoing)
Source: Tennessee Department of Transportation