O&W Road bridge set to be bid; High Point may be close behind
O&W Road may reopen late this fall or in early winter
ONEIDA | Scott County Road Superintendent Kelvin King said Tuesday that the bridge on O&W Road will soon be bid, which means construction of the new bridge is not far off.
King said the bridge will be bid on July 14, which is when the Scott County Finance Committee next meets. The deadline for bids typically follows by 45 days.
The bridge, which is located just west of O&W Road’s intersection with Toomey Road, has resulted in the one-lane road into the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area being closed for months. The bridge was ordered closed by the TN Dept. of Transportation, which condemned the bridge following an inspection last year.
Originally part of the Oneida & Western Railroad, the bridge is one of the oldest in Scott County. It was constructed in 1914.
King said he hopes that crews will be ready to go to work before wet weather returns this winter, and that the road will be reopened to vehicular traffic in late fall or early winter.
Meanwhile, the bridge over the Norfolk-Southern Railroad on Niggs Creek Road may not be far behind. That bridge, which was also ordered closed by TDOT, must feature a design that is approved by the railroad. The railroad approves the design in stages, beginning at 30%, then 60%, then 90%, before issuing a final approval. King said Norfolk-Southern has issued the 90% approval and the final design will be submitted in the coming days. He said he anticipates hearing back from the railroad in 30 to 40 days, meaning the High Point bridge could be ready for bidding in August.
The design of the new bridge at High Point is 11 inches wider and 11 inches taller than the existing bridge, King said, due to requirements by the railroad.
Both bridges will be paid for using state funding from Tennessee’s IMPROVE Act, which was passed under Gov. Bill Haslam.