High Point Bridge given final approval, set to go to bid
ONEIDA | The Niggs Creek Road overpass of the Norfolk-Southern Railroad at High Point has been given final approval, and is set to be advertised for bids, Scott County Road Superintendent Kelvin King said Thursday.
The bridge, which has been closed by order of the TN Dept. of Transportation since March 2024, will be torn out and rebuilt. Because of the railroad, it required approval from Norfolk-Southern, a multi-stage process that proved lengthy.
However, King said Thursday that the railroad has given its final stamp of approval to the project. Just as importantly, King said that funding has been secured from TDOT to complete the project, meaning that construction can start right away. There had been some concern that funding might be lost until the start of next fiscal year in July 2026; King had been in contact with state officials in an effort to prevent that from happening.
The bridge is being funded through the IMPROVE Act. The Road Department had been working to secure funding through the act — which dates back to 2017 when the state legislature increased the gasoline tax to fund transportation infrastructure projects — for more than two years before TDOT condemned the bridge after it scored low on an annual inspection. The bridge dates back to 1937, but was mostly rebuilt in 1975 after suffering severe damage in a train collision.
On Thursday, King expressed his appreciation to state Sen. Ken Yager and state Rep. Kelly Keisling for their assistance in securing the funding.
King said the successful bidder on the project will be required to sign a contract with Norfolk-Southern, but he’s hoping the project will move “pretty quickly” — perhaps within 45 days after the bid is awarded.
The new bridge will be similar in size to the existing bridge at High Point. The design of the new bridge is 11 inches wider and 11 inches taller than the existing bridge, King previously said, due to requirements by the railroad.
Meanwhile, King said construction is expected to start on the O&W Road bridge over Pine Creek within the next 10-to-14 days. He said the final go-ahead for that project was received from TDOT this week. O&W Road has been closed near its intersection with Toomey Road just outside the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area boundary since TDOT condemned that bridge last summer. King General Contracting, based in Cookeville, Tenn., will be building the new bridge.
In another roads-related matter, Yager announced at a Scott County Chamber of Commerce meeting on July 24 that TDOT will advertise for bids to resurface U.S. Highway 27 through Oneida late this fall, with the actual paving project to begin when temperatures warm next spring. He credited King for his persistence in moving that project forward. Earlier this year, TDOT completed the resurfacing of U.S. 27 from Huntsville south to Robbins.