Washington County officials announced today that the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has authorized the county to begin the bidding process for construction of a new bridge on Telford Road, commonly referred to as Telford Bridge.
The bridge, which crosses Brown Branch, was closed to all traffic in April following a TDOT inspection and subsequent Bridge Evaluation Report.
“Safety is always our top priority,” said Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy. “While we understand the inconvenience caused by the closure, this process has moved forward at twice the typical pace thanks to the exceptional collaboration between our highway department, TDOT and the project design team.”
Following the April inspection, the Washington County Highway Department made repeated attempts to keep the bridge open under reduced load restrictions until design work could be completed. However, TDOT issued a formal notice requiring full closure to ensure public safety and maintain the county’s eligibility for state highway funding.
Engineering services were immediately contracted with Thompson & Litton, a local firm with extensive experience designing projects of this type. Although a bridge design typically takes 12-15 months to complete — with three separate TDOT approvals required during the process — Washington County and TDOT expedited every step of the operation.
“While not visible at the site, our teams have worked diligently behind the scenes to accelerate design, engineering and review processes,” Grandy said. “Thanks to that effort, we were able to achieve TDOT approval in less than six months.”
The Washington County Highway Department anticipates receiving bids later this month, with construction expected to commence shortly thereafter.
“This project has had top priority from day one,” Grandy added. “We are grateful to the engineers, contractors and TDOT officials who have helped us move this forward faster than expected. Once complete, this new bridge will provide a safer, stronger connection for the Telford community and all who travel this route.”
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