Preliminary construction plans have been forwarded to the Tennessee Department of Transportation for a new bridge on Holmes Creek Road over Fall Creek in Smithville.
In an email to city officials, the engineer for the project, Kyle Hazel of Professional Engineering Services of Sparta wrote that final construction plans for the bridge will be prepared and sent to TDOT for final review and approval once TDOT approves the preliminary plans. “Once all necessary approvals, permits, right-of-way, and utility coordination has been accomplished we will advertise and the project will be bid,” wrote Hazel.
The bridge, at the bottom of town hill behind Love-Cantrell Funeral Home, has been closed since October 30.
The state forced the City of Smithville to close the bridge due to a Tennessee Department of Transportation Evaluation Report which detailed various bridge deficiencies making it potentially unsafe.
The project is being funded under the state’s 1990 Bridge Grant Program. The Tennessee Department of Transportation was to pay for 98% of the costs to replace the bridge. The local matching portion was to be 2%. However, according to Hazel the matching cost to the city could be 8%
“At this time the bridge grant funds available for this project are approximately $500,000 and we anticipate that an additional $168,000.00 will be added this July 2016. This will not be enough to cover the bridge’s maximum percentage of 98%, but closer to 92% according to my overall project cost based on the estimate. Therefore the City of Smithville will need to be prepared to fund approximately 8% +- of the total project cost at this time,” wrote Hazel.
City officials have said it may be next fall before the new bridge is completed.
Until then residents in the area and other motorists will have to continue making a detour by way of Riley Avenue or Allen’s Ferry Road.
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