Carr Creek Bridge Expected To Complete May 31

Overton County acknowledged the receipt for $700,000 borrowed for the Carr Creek Bridge Project Monday night.

County Commissioner and Highway Department Administrative Director Darwin Clark said the $2.2 million bridge is going to be fully reimbursed. Clark said crews are working five days a week to have the project finished by May 31.

“Between September and May has not been that much of an inconvenience for everybody,” Clark said. “I know it’s been hard on a few but we got an almost $2.5 million bridge down there that we didn’t have to pay for. So we’re very fortunate to have it.”

Clark said the Carr Creek Bridge will be roughly 200 feet, with two lanes and a pull off on both sides.

Clark said that delays did occur due to getting steel from the manufacturer, COVID and the weather. However, Clark said he believes the project moved faster than if T-DOT managing the project.

“You’ve got to get all the right of ways, you’ve got to do environmental studies, you’ve got to do soil samples,” Clark said. “You’ve got to do numerous things and it takes time because you have to deal with Army Corps of Engineers, you’ve got to deal with the local officials.”

Clark said they began the preliminary work in 2015. He said the old bridge served the county well in its 74 years of service.

“It’s done a good job, its life was there,” Clark said. “Back when we had the flood in 2010 it lost it but it’s survived a lot of different things.”

Clark said the bridge was funded through the Federal Off-System Bridge Replacement Program and High Priority Bridge Replacement Program. The bridge is on Rickman Road, also known as the Old Highway 42.