NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A Hawkins County bridge over the Holston River that has been the subject of a vehicle weight limit will be replaced, with Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) preliminary engineering set to begin next year.
Tuesday’s announcement on behalf of three state lawmakers says TDOT will use what is known as federal “off-system bridge funding” to help pay for the project, according to a release from House Republican Caucus Deputy Press Secretary Carson Burns. That funding supports work on bridges that aren’t part of either a state or federal highway system.
In a response to an inquiry from News Channel 11, Rep. Gary Hicks (R-Rogersville) said TDOT’s management of the project will allow engineering and right-of-way phases to “move forward imminently.”
“This proactive approach will position the project to move quickly into construction once funding becomes available within the next couple of years,” Rep. Hicks stated.
The project, advocated by Hicks, fellow State Rep. Timothy Hill (R-Blountville) and State Senator Bobby Harshbarger (R-Kingsport), follows 2024 reporting by News Channel 11 after community members raised concerns.
Hawkins County Mayor Mark DeWitte said the project has been in the works for over a year.
“We’ve been working on this with TDOT since May of 2024,” he said. “They made us aware of the condition of the bridge, and we started working on ways to get it either fixed or replaced. We started out with a plan to fix it until we could get the money together to actually replace it, but TDOT told us Friday they’re going to take on the responsibility of replacing the whole bridge. They said no use in just patching it to get through a few more years.”
News Channel 11 discovered through a records request that the bridge, owned by Hawkins County, had been recommended for replacement.
“Hawkins County greatly appreciates TDOT for assuming responsibility for the replacement of the Goshen Valley Bridge,” DeWitte said in the release. He praised “a strong collaborative effort” among state lawmakers and county leadership.
Tuesday’s release noted that while it’s remained “safe for travel,” the 874-foot-long, 61-year-old structure has a 10-ton weight limit. That was imposed by TDOT “following a recent inspection that identified maintenance concerns and confirmed the overall need for replacement.”
The weight limit restricted vehicles, such as school buses, first responder vehicles and trucks, from crossing the bridge, causing inconvenient rerouting.
“For decades, the Goshen Valley Bridge has been a familiar and essential route for me and countless others in our area,” Hicks said in the news release. “This announcement marks an exciting step forward for Hawkins County and the surrounding region. I’m beyond grateful for our strong local leadership and invaluable support from TDOT that made this possible.”
He told News Channel 11 directly that the approach also prevents Hawkins County from spending significant dollars in repair or stabilization efforts “that would offer only minimal extension to its service life or weight capacity…”
A 2021 study estimated it would take $14.3 million total to replace the bridge, including $9.6 million for the bridge proper. Hawkins County emergency responders opted to quit using the bridge, which connects Church Hill, McPheeters Bend and Rogersville, in early 2024, citing safety concerns.
News Channel 11 has requested a cost estimate for the replacement project.
Harshbarger touted the fact that Hawkins County will save money by not having to fund the replacement, which he said “moves us toward a long-term solution. With TDOT managing the project and using federal bridge funds, we’re positioning this replacement to move forward efficiently.”
DeWitte said this is an exciting project for Hawkins County.
“I hope this announcement pleases a lot of folks,” he said. “We had three or four of the highest-ranking TDOT people in our conference room along with our state representatives last year, and I have to give them a lot of credit. I’m pleased for the citizens of Hawkins County. This is going to be a great thing, and we’ve waited a long time for it.”
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