Roberts-Matthews Bridge To Finish In November

The new bridge on White County’s Roberts-Matthews Highway should be finished by early November.

This from County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson, who said the company handling the construction has been penalized for falling behind schedule. Robinson said there is little else the county can do to move the project along at this point.

“There’s always that chance of some kind of unforeseen issue,” Robinson said. “But they’re to the point now where structurally, the structural integrity, the supports and stuff, that stuff’s done. Now it’s just finishing the top of the bridge so I can’t see them running into anything else.”

Robinson said he believes the delay was caused by core drilling issues that were part of a problem with the structural integrity of the bridge. Robinson said the north-south flow of traffic in the area will greatly improve once the bridge finally reopens.

“Obviously on the south side of the bridge you’re having to drive back to the Hampton’s Crossroads area,” Robinson said. “And then on the north side of the bridge you’re having to drive into the city of Cookeville there to get on.”

Robinson said the county should still consider itself fortunate as issues like these have not been common in recent years.

“We replaced that bridge, the one that’s further north there at the county line back a few years ago, that went a lot more smoothly,” Robinson said. “So yeah, this was a surprise, but we’ve been pretty lucky.”