The Chuckey Utility District opened bids Thursday for a new waterline that will run beneath the Nolichucky River, aiming at permanently restoring service to customers south of the Kinser Bridge on Erwin Highway. The previous line was destroyed when the bridge collapsed in the floods of Hurricane Helene.
Two construction options were presented for bidding. Option 1 involves boring a new line underneath the river and connecting it to existing infrastructure. Option 2 proposes attaching the line to the side of the newly rebuilt Kinser Bridge.
Chuckey Utility Manager Tyson Lamb said that five previous waterlines have been used to span the river at that location—all of which were eventually destroyed by the river. In 2021, the district decided to hang the line on the side of the Kinser Bridge, believing no flood could be large enough to destroy it. That assumption was proven wrong when the bridge was lost in a catastrophic flood.
Lamb said boring beneath the river is now considered the best long-term solution, capable of withstanding nearly any natural disaster. This method has already proven successful at Earnest Bridge, where it was used to supply water to Chuckey Utility customers. However, an earlier attempt to bore under the Nolichucky at Kinser Bridge, immediately after the flood, failed when the bore hole collapsed as a line was being pulled through. David Wykle, consulting engineer with W&W Engineering, said the company tried several times to salvage the project before abandoning it. The failed effort came at no cost to the utility.
Following that setback, Chuckey Utility installed a temporary line to maintain water service. The emergency setup involved assembling a 12-inch heavy-duty plastic pipe nearly three-quarters of a mile long. It follows a gravel road, crosses the river via an island where the pipe is buried, and re-emerges on the south bank to connect to existing lines. Although recent floodwaters shifted the line, it remained intact.
Despite its strength—one inch thick and flexible enough to resist river currents—the plastic line has developed a leak due to constant friction against rocks and debris. To maintain uninterrupted service, a new temporary line will be installed in the coming days, laid along the bridge’s widened shoulder and shielded by orange safety barriers. Lamb said the new temporary setup should not disrupt traffic and will be installed at a time to minimize impact to traffic.
If boring under the river is unsuccessful, the contractor will move forward with Option 2. However, they will only be paid the amount bid for the alternate method. In other words, if the winning bidder fails to complete the bore, they will absorb that cost—not the utility district.
Bids were submitted by Mofield Brothers of Carthage, Merkel Brothers of Greeneville, and Norris Brothers of Crossville. Bids for boring a new line ranged from just over $1 million to $1.7 million. Bids for hanging a line on the bridge ranged from just under $1 million to more than $2 million.
Wykle will review the proposals and make his recommendation at the next Chuckey Utility District board meeting, scheduled for June 18.
Once a contractor is selected, they will have 30 days to begin work. The contract specifies that all work must be completed within 150 days.
