CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Both lanes of the bridge on I-75 South over I-24 West in Chattanooga are back open, a week after a concrete rail fell on to the interstate below.
A TDOT spokesperson says the single lane that was closed reopened around 2:00 a.m. Monday morning.
TDOT will perform minor work, such as milling and paving, later this week. This work will require short-term closures and be done during non-peak hours.
Investigators believe a truck carrying a wide load may have hit the bridge, causing the collapse.
Original story
TDOT is working to determine what caused a concrete beam to fall off a Chattanooga bridge and crash onto the interstate below.
It happened Monday on I-75 northbound at the I-24W split, creating traffic issues late into the evening. One person was injured when his car crashed into the concrete.
The bridge was last inspected in July of 2018, where it received a fair rating and judged safe to use. WRCB reviewed the 33-page report, which notes cracks increasing in size and trees growing on top of bent caps, problems the inspector suggested be repaired. The grade was categorized as fair, meaning the bridge was safe to use.
TRAFFIC: Get real-time traffic conditions
According to TDOT engineer Steve Hutchings, the noted issues are common problems for a bridge that's been around since 1959.
"It was rated structurally fair, which is a good rating. There was no structural problems with the bridge. It's an older bridge and it had normal problems an older bridge would have. There was no reason for us to expect anything like this would happen. I mean, everything was in good condition,” Hutchings told WRCB.
Hutchings says the bridge showed no signs of breaking apart.
"If we found a reason of what might have caused this and it might be at another bridge then yes, we would look at other bridges with this same type of construction. But I don't see any reason. I just think this is a once in a lifetime incident,” Hutchings said.
TDOT Chief Director Joe Deering said they will use every resource they can to figure what caused the beam to fall.
"We are trying to look into the trucking industry to see if we can get any video. We also have the highway patrol who have teamed with us to look at the weigh stations at any over-sized loads that may have been damaged recently,” Deering said.
The bridge is slated to be replaced as part of a larger TDOT project that was announced last year. Officials say Monday’s incident will not affect the project.
The bridge was set to have another inspection in May of 2020.
TDOT crews reopened the I-24 westbound lanes at the I-75 split Monday night, but only one lane of I-75 southbound is open at this time.
It will likely take three to four weeks to have the ramps open to two lanes.