KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Knoxville City Council is set to tweak the city's budget Tuesday night so it can hire an engineering firm to evaluate the shuttered 126-year-old Gay Street Bridge.
Council members are being asked by staff to shift $850,000 into the capital fund for the firm, which has yet to be hired.
Engineers will analyze and "design services specific repairs" for the Gay Street Bridge.
The funding only addresses having someone look at the bridge. Any future repairs would have to require further funding, and it's unknown how high that could go.
Authorities shut down the bridge to all traffic, including pedestrian tra
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has recommended the bridge stay closed while experts figure out next steps. The bridge is the city of Knoxville's responsibility.
Mayor Indya Kincannon has said that if city officials decide it's safe on an interim basis to open it back up to pedestrians, then the city will follow through.
The bridge is one of the oldest bridges still in use in the state. It's 1,512 feet long. William McKinley was president when it began to be used.
According to the city, its construction includes five pin-connected steel arched cantilever trusses and two truss approach spans on granite foundations.
