Earnest Bridge on the Chuckey Pike may remained closed longer than initially hoped after further inspection revealed more damage on the south end of the bridge.
In the days immediately following the flood, inspectors initially thought the bridge had been damaged beyond repair. Significant erosion along the sides of the river was evident , and the bridge was impacted by massive amounts of debris moving at high speeds as the river crested on Friday, September 27. The concrete railing was severely damaged, as were parts of the roadway, leaving areas of rebar visible.
As the water levels receded, further inspection showed that the bridge could be repaired. However, Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison said Tuesday that further inspection of the river bed and shores showed more erosion than initially calculated. Morrison said that damage may take up to another month to repair before the bridge can be reopened for one lane traffic.
Erosion where Rheatown Creek flows into the Nolichuckey on the north side did not affect the bridge or roadway, but engineers contracted by TDOT have said that the abutment on the southern side was more damaged than initial inspection revealed. Additional work will have to be done to the approach road and abutment on that side.
