Repairs being made to the 80-year-old Henley Bridge are taking longer than originally anticipated.
The project was originally expected to be complete by the end of June 2013. Now, TDOT believes the project will not be complete until the end of February 2014.
According to a recent TDOT press release, once crews began working on the bridge, they found the deterioration was worse than they had anticipated.
“If we continued making the necessary repairs to the piers, we were looking at delays to the project that would have prevented us from reopening it to traffic until the summer of 2014,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “We feel confident that we have examined every option available to us to move the project forward safely and efficiently. The decision to rebuild the piers will ultimately save time, and will result in a longer life for the Henley Bridge.”
Once the rehabilitation project is complete, another 50 years is expected to be added to the life of the bridge. The completion is expected to ease traffic congestion with the expansion of the travel lane, helping traffic move in and out of the downtown area more efficiently.
The entire project will be complete by June of 2014.
