The Tennessee Department of Transportation said I-40 west between mile marker 20 and mile marker 15 will close for up to five days for emergency bridgework beginning Monday night.
“This emergency work on a bridge over Jonathan Creek and White Oak Road is needed due to recent rapid deterioration of the concrete surface. The deterioration has been increasing the possibility for road hazards,” said a release from TDOT.
A detour put in place for the stretch of interstate will add about 45 minutes to trips from Asheville to Dandridge. The directions for the detour are the following:
Drivers desiring to reach points on Interstate 40, west of the closure should take I-40 to Exit 53B (I-240 West) go five miles to Exit 4A (I-26 West) and follow that for 74 miles, crossing into Tennessee. They should then take Exit 8A for I-81 South and continue 57 miles to re-access I-40 near Dandridge, Tenn.
“This work needs to be done before the bridge conditions deteriorate heading into winter,” Division 14 maintenance engineer Wesley Grindstaff said earlier this week. “It is unfortunate that we have to close the interstate, but this is the only way to complete the repairs and to do so quickly and safely.”
The $436,500 contract with Buckeye Bridge of Canton calls for crews to use hydro-demolition to remove old concrete from the 53-year-old bridge, and then pour new concrete to complete the repairs.
