News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The State Department of Transportation hopes to begin work Thursday to repair state highway 85 in Fentress County.
T-DOT Community Relations Officer Jennifer Flynn said the project contractor will begin moving into place Thursday. Excavation and drilling work will begin Friday.
“It should take several weeks to complete that,” Flynn said.
Heavy rains caused the pavement at mile marker six to slide and give way last week, forcing the closure. The work goes beyond replacing the pavement, Flynn said, to rebuilding the road base.
“What we call soil nailing, they’ll shoot big soil nails into the bank to stabilize it,” Flynn said. “They’re strategically placed and they’ll stabilize the slope.”
GeoStabilization International (GSI) will do the work. A total of six miles of roadway remains closed between Grimsley and Wilder. Flynn said the repairs should be complete by mid April.
