Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer joined state and local officials today for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the official completion of the Sligo Bridge project in DeKalb County.
Work began on the 0.8-mile project in May 2013. The $38.9-million project replaced a 24-ft. wide truss bridge built over the Caney Fork River in 1948 with a modern 45-ft. wide concrete and steel bridge. The project also included the construction of three retaining walls. Among other features, the new bridge has a wider substructure for potential future expansion, a design that is not possible on a truss bridge.
“We are very pleased to be here today to celebrate the completion of this important project with our state and local partners and the citizens of DeKalb County,” said Commissioner Schroer. “This bridge is very important to the region, and it will also make this area much safer and will benefit all motorists and area residents.”
“A special thanks to the Riverwatch community and the Mountain Harbor community. Riverwatch let us (TDOT) use their boat ramp to do some of the things we needed to do. We were having a little difficulty getting that accomplished but we were able to work that out. They’re getting a new boat dock and some pavement and parking spaces. Lots of good things will happen. That’s a win win for everybody there. It helped the state get what we’ve done and we were able to help that community as well,” said Commissioner Schroer.
“This is a great day to finally be able to do a ribbon cutting on this bridge,” said State Senator Mae Beavers. ” I said we had to get Terri Lynn elected to finally get it done. She has done a great job in helping with it. We hope you enjoy it and that everybody up here is satisfied for a while,” she said.
“It’s a great day to be here today. Everyone around here has a part of this. We’re all team players and this is what happens when we are all on the same page. We have an amazing bridge and places to park,” said State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver.
“I would like to recognize the former County Mayor Mike Foster and the county commission who did a lot of work and had a lot of discussions to help get this bridge project done. I am very proud and thankful for TDOT’s $39 million dollar investment in DeKalb County. This will have an economic impact in DeKalb County for many years to come,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling.
“These bridges (Sligo and Hurricane) feed Smithville. We’re fortunate to have two new bridges here and we’re very thankful that the money has been invested in DeKalb County,” said Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss.
The new bridge is 101 feet over the water, and the bridge depth below the water is 167 feet. Over 11,000 cubic yards of concrete and 2 million pounds of steel reinforcement were used on the bridge. A major milestone occurred in August 2015 when traffic was shifted onto the newly-constructed bridge. This allowed the contractor to begin demolition of the old truss bridge, a task that took over a month.
Massman Construction Co., Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri is prime contractor for this project, which was completed several months ahead of the June 30, 2016 completion date.
Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) and Representative Terry Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster) represent DeKalb County in the Tennessee General Assembly.
ADDITIONAL INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE SLIGO BRIDGE PROJECT BELOW:
Construction of a welded steel plate girder bridge on U.S. 70 (SR-26) over the Caney Fork River and Sligo Road, including three retaining walls, in DeKalb County, Tennessee – Contract No. CNM073
*Bids opened April 5, 2013
*Massman Construction Co., Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri is prime contractor
*Project cost $38.9 million
*Work began May 28, 2013
*Project replaced a 24-ft. wide truss bridge that was constructed in 1948 with a 45-ft. wide concrete and steel bridge.
*The new bridge is 101 feet over the water
*The bridge depth below the water is 167 feet
*Over 11,000 cubic yards of concrete and 2 million pounds of steel reinforcement were used on the new bridge
*The new bridge has a wider substructure for future expansion
*Bridge length 1545 feet
*Almost half of the bridge is underwater, 5295 cubic yards of concrete and 712,000 pounds of steel
*Over $10 million dollars of work is underwater
*Over 400,000 cubic yards of material was excavated from the approaches leading to the bridge
*The project included construction of 3 retaining walls
*The original contract completion date was June 30, 2016
*The new bridge was open to traffic on August 8, 2015
*The project won the Tennessee Concrete Association award for best architect/engineer: non-building structures.
*The demolition of the old truss bridge began on September 15, 2015 and after several rounds of demolition, the remaining piers were demolished on October 20, 2015.
*The project was totally complete in March 2016, several months ahead of schedule
PICTURED: Massman Construction Project Manager T.J. Colombatto, Chamber Director Suzanne Williams, County Mayor Tim Stribling, State Senator Mae Beavers, State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver, Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss, TDOT Commissioner John Schroer, TDOT Chief Engineer Paul Degges