TDOT Facing Challenges With Highway 85 Repair Work

Crews are facing hurdles in repairing Highway 85 after flooding damaged the roadway earlier this year.

TDOT Spokeswoman Jennifer Flynn said the project is now slated for completion in January 2020.

“It’s been a challenging project. There’s had to be some changes made to that project,” Flynn said. “Conditions are always changing out there so we’ve had to make a few changes, and it may end up going a little longer.”

The $13.2-million project is currently underway to repair the roadway in Overton and Fentress Counties. An emergency contract was awarded to Wright Brothers Construction earlier this spring to fix multiple slides in the road.

“They’re still working as best they can and doing what they can out in the field,” Flynn said. “It’s a challenging area and there’s several sites they’ll be working on.”

Crews have reduced Highway 85 to one lane in Fentress County while repairs were taking place.

Original estimates had the project being completed by this November. The roadway hasn’t been fully open since late February.