TDOT report gives Sandy Hook five-arch bridge a "critical" rating; residents urge temporary reopening and preservation

Ken McKee, Maury County superintendent of highways, told the Maury County Commission on Aug. 18 that the Tennessee Department of Transportationinspection and accompanying letter "requires the subject bridge to remain closed to all traffic" after it received a "critical" rating.

Residents from the Sandy Hook area and elsewhere urged the commission to seek temporary reopening for emergency access, pursue preservation funding and study alternative flood fixes. Speakers cited a 108-signature petition, historical significance of the 1916 five-arch bridge and safety concerns caused by lengthy detours while the main county bridge is replaced.

Why it matters: the Sandy Hook five-arch bridge, built in 1916, is one of a small number of multi-arch Roman-style bridges remaining in the United States and the only five-arch bridge remaining in Tennessee referenced during public comments. Residents said the bridgeclosure forces long detours over narrow, curving roads that they say raise safety and emergency-response risks.

What McKee reported

McKee summarized the TDOT report and a letter from TDOTstructure officials. "The enclosed bridge evaluation report requires the subject bridge to remain closed to all traffic," he said, reading the written guidance into the record.

What residents said

Charles Gandy, a Sandy Hook resident, told commissioners the bridge has withstood multiple strong floods and asked the county to seek a state inspectoragreement to allow emergency single-vehicle use if possible: "We would like to request of the commission that if the state some way sees allowance to allow passage of individual vehicles across the bridge that you would agree to allow this for us there in the community."

Brandy Chittister, who said she lives on Williams Hollow Road, described the detour route and urged the commission to prioritize safety: "Choosing this detour is choosing a risk that puts lives on the line and even if one driver loses their life there it's one driver too many." Jason Gillum described the bridgeas a historic landmark and urged the county to pursue funding to repair and preserve it.

Kevin Davis, who said he led a petition drive, disputed the claim that the arch bridge causes downstream flooding and asked the commission to seek an Army Corps flood study and to require any replacement bridge to clear a much larger span of the floodplain.

Vicky Jones and Sue Bassham said the bridgewas closed without proper procedure; Bassham cited Tennessee Code Annotated requirements for notice and a county vote and asserted the closure violated those procedures. Jones said a state judge denied an injunction but that a lawsuit against the private party that closed the bridge may continue.

Commissioners' response and next steps

Commissioners discussed short-term mitigations and longer-term options. Commissioner Grodi asked McKee whether the TDOT letter ordered demolition; McKee replied it did not and that the TDOT instruction was to keep the bridge closed.

Several commissioners asked McKee to request improved detour signage from the state and to explore safety steps on the detour routes (flashing signs and clearing sightlines). Commissioner Grodi and others suggested the safety committee should convene an ad hoc group to study options.

Commissioner Brevedi moved to rescind earlier county resolutions authorizing demolition of the Sandy Hook bridge (resolutions adopted in 2011 and later); County attorney Mr. Murphy advised that the motion would need committee review to identify the specific prior resolutions and recommended referral. The commission agreed to place the matter on the safety committee agenda for the next month.

What was not decided

No motion to reopen the bridge was approved at the meeting. McKee and TDOT officials characterized the bridge condition as "critical," a classification he summarized as "major defects; components severely compromised; typically necessitates frequent monitoring, significant load restrictions and/or corrective actions in order to keep the bridge open." Commissioners asked for additional facts, engineering input and funding options before any change in status.

Background and context

Speakers said the arch bridge dates to 1916 and that the bridge and valley have a long history of flooding. Commenters asked the commission to pursue preservation grants, a U.S. Army Corps flood study and to consider raising a future replacement bridge to restore natural floodplain flow.

Next steps

The commission directed staff to place the matter on the safety committee agenda for further review, to ask TDOT about improved detour signage and to identify grant and engineering options. A motion to rescind the county's earlier demolition resolutions was made and will be considered in committee before any formal vote at the full commission.