Bridge needing repair… Photo provided before work began
State officials say that a bridge in rural Coffee County will soon re-open. The bridge on Cat Creek Road over Crumpton Creek near Rutledge Falls will reopen in less than a month. The bridge was closed May 9 for repairs following an inspection by TDOT. After the inspection, the condition of the bridge was deemed as “poor” by the state. As a result, the bridge was closed. Before closing the bridge in May, two TDOT inspections of the bridge had been made which stated the overall condition of the bridge was “poor.” The 2016 inspection described the condition of the substructure of the bridge and the approaching roadway alignment to be in “serious condition,” while the superstructure was deemed to be “poor.” Photographs taken under the bridge by TDOT inspectors during the 2016 inspection had shown crumbling concrete and corroding steel beams. The cost to repair the bridge would be around $250,000, according to the highway department director.
