Elizabethton: The Ongoing Saga of the Gap Creek Road Bridge Project

Elizabethton: The Ongoing Saga of the Gap Creek Road Bridge Project

It’s been over a year since the 76-year-old bridge crossing **Gap Creek** was shut down, closing off a key section of **Gap Creek Road** and creating quite a hassle for local drivers. The closure has forced detours that don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. In fact, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (**TDOT**) has announced that the inconvenience will continue for **at least two more years**.

The bridge, a crucial crossing point for the community, was taken out of commission due to its age and deteriorating condition. A Change.org petition even popped up on November 30, 2023, urging authorities to speed up the repair process. As of the latest update, the petition garnered over **422 digital signatures**. The sentiment of the petition was clear: “**Gap Creek Road is an essential artery in our town**. Not only does its current state jeopardize our safety, but it also disrupts our daily lives. Infrastructure projects like these take time, but with added resources and proper planning, we believe the completion date can be moved up.”

With no response yet from the Elizabethton resident who initiated the petition, it’s clear that the community is eagerly awaiting progress.

Prior to its closure, the bridge saw an average of **2,752 vehicles cross it daily**, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Projections suggest that by 2042, that number could swell to **4,403 vehicles per day**. It’s likely that these statistics played a vital role in the state’s decision to allocate **$1.2 million** for the bridge repair.

**TDOT Region 1 Communications Officer Mark Nagi** shared some background information, stating the bridge and roadway were handed over to the **Carter County Highway Department** around a decade ago when a new state route was constructed.

On the information front, **Carter County Highway Department Superintendent Shannon Burchett** mentioned that they’ve been fielding calls about the project for the past year. Burchett also shared that the project is currently in the **property acquisition** and **environmental permitting stages**. Considering a portion of Gap Creek runs through the **Cherokee National Forest**, additional permits are needed to ensure the protection of the **Exceptional Waters** area as designated by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

As of the latest updates, no permits had been recorded in the database. **TDOT** aims to put the project to bid by **spring 2025**, with a tentatively projected completion by **late 2026**. It’s worth mentioning that **Nagi** compared this project to a similar one on **Mary Patton Highway (state Route 362)**, emphasizing that the construction phase alone took three years. However, adding in the planning, environmental checks, and acquisition phases, the total development time stretched to an eye-watering seven years. In comparison, the **Gap Creek Road bridge** rebuild is expected to have a significantly shorter timeline, albeit still somewhat lengthy with a year devoted solely to construction.

The bridge, made from concrete slabs in **1948**, was last inspected on **June 27, 2023**. According to a routine inspection report, it was labeled as being in critical condition and a repair order was issued on **July 3, 2023**. The bridge was officially shut down on **July 12, 2023**, eliminating all through traffic from **Big Springs Road to Short Coal Chute Road**.

It’s worth noting that, according to the **U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration**, **Carter County** is home to **196 bridges**. Among these, **87 bridges are classified as “Good”, 83 as “Fair”, and 26 as “Poor”**.

In conclusion, while the repair of the **Gap Creek Road bridge** remains an ongoing inconvenience, community members and local officials are pushing for a timely resolution. The attention drawn by the Change.org petition indicates a united community’s effort to expedite the process and bring back a critical road link that makes daily life smoother and safer for everyone.

Expect to hear more updates as the project progresses through its stages, and fingers crossed, the **two-year timeline** remains accurate.