Construction of the Henley Street Bridge began in early January and is projected to finish around June 30, 2013.
This is not the first time the bridge has experienced closure due to construction.
“In 2004, urgent repairs were necessary to the deteriorated riding surface and decking,” Mark Nagi, community relations officer for region one of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said. “The deterioration was allowing water seepage, causing chipping and cracking to some of the concrete support beams and columns.”
In addition to the 2004 construction, in 1987 the bridge saw a $2 million renovation on expansion joints, concrete railings and support columns, and a new lighting system was installed in 1991.
The cost of the current project was bid at $24,696,969.47.
The closure of the bridge has caused lane changes, as well as various road closures around the bridge.
“Currently Neyland Drive approaching the overhead Henley Bridge is reduced to one lane in each direction,” Nagi said. “Looking ahead, all Neyland Drive traffic closures will cease by Aug.19, 2011, and all four lanes will be open again at that time.”
Along with the lane closures on Neyland Drive, the greenway that runs along the Tennessee River is also closed.
Students who usually commute to campus via the Henley Street Bridge are the most inconvenienced.
“The construction has made it somewhat more difficult to get to campus each day,” Chris Thomas, senior in journalism and electronic media, said. “Normally, I would use Gay Street as a way to avoid traffic on Henley, but now there is no easy or quicker way to dodge traffic if I am running late. Having said that, if I make sure that I am up early and on time, then the commute has been a relatively easy adjustment.”
Instead of simply crossing the bridge, students must take a detour and cross over the Gay Street Bridge.
Two construction workers have died while working on the bridge.
The first, John David Womac, 33, foreman of Britton Bridge, LLC, died while on the job on Jan. 25.
The second, Solin Estrada-Jimenez, 47, was a native of Mexico and died due to an accident on May 24.
“A safety review for all Britton Bridge projects and their affiliates is currently ongoing,” Nagi said. “Those reviews are scheduled to be completed in the next few days.”
Currently no memorial for the two workers has been planned but may be considered in the future.
Thomas said the opening of the bridge will be greatly welcomed and that currently, the commute is a hassle but will likely be worse during football season.
“I will be happy when the bridge is finished,” Thomas said. “I think the absolute worst experience I have had was during football season. Trying to get to work when a game is over is nearly impossible, and the bridge wasn’t even under construction then. It will be much harder this year.”
