City Lake Bridge Needs Beam Repairs, Abutment Reinforced

The City Lake Bridge will need repairs do to rust and erosion according to an assessment by the state.

Putnam County Road Supervisor Randy Jones said the states assessment came in two weeks ago and the highway department is now assessing prices with multiple companies. Jones said the bridge’s steel webbing has rust holes and the abutment needs to be fixed with stone.

“We’re working with a couple of different companies to get a price on what it will cost to redo this,” Jones said. “To bolt more steel, we’re gonna go with galvanized metal and bolt it to the I-beams that are in their now and to reinforce it.”

Jones said the surface of the bridge needs to be milled to lighten the weight. Jones said there is no time table yet for when work will be complete.

“We’re gonna try and rush this along as fast as we can and get it back open,” Jones said.

Jones said two of the companies the department’s engineer is consulting with are from Overton County and Chattanooga. Jones said this is an emergency project, so it will not go through the full bidding process.

“We’re not putting it out at a full bid because it’s more of an emergency type situation to get the bridge back open,” Jones said. “We’re trying to determine which one is going to be the most effective.”

Jones said an alternate route through Watson Road is available for the East Lake subdivision.