Opening Delayed on SR 68 Bridge Rehabilitation Project
Over Tennessee River on Watts Bar Dam
Unanticipated Steel Repairs and Cold Weather Put Schedule Behind

Chattanooga, Tennessee – Since Monday, August 16, 2004, the bridge on State Route 68 over the Tennessee River at the Watts Bar Dam in Rhea and Meigs Counties has been temporarily closed to traffic. The contractor (Mid-State Construction / Livingston, Tennessee) has been performing a major rehabilitation project that includes removal and replacement of the entire bridge deck.

The bridge was due to reopen to traffic on January 16, 2005, with the project being totally completed in May of 2005. Unfortunately, however, the bridge will not be reopened to traffic until four to six weeks after the original estimated opening date. This will put the opening sometime in February instead.

The reasons for the delayed opening are unanticipated steel beam repairs that the contractor had to make and the extremely cold weather. The extra time taken by the unexpected steel beam repairs made the scheduling of the concrete pours more difficult because the weather had turned colder.

TDOT and the contractor regret any inconvenience this extended closure will cause the motorists who regularly travel in this area. However, we want the end result to be a quality job that is safe for all who travel across the bridge.

Detours are still posted, with the primary detour route around the bridge being from US 27 (SR 29) to SR 30 (Rhea County); from SR 30 to SR 58 (Meigs County); then from SR 58 to SR 68 (Meigs County).