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Road department says one‑lane bridge shows deterioration; county would not accept it as‑is
Summary
Bradley County road department representative Collins told the planning commission that, based on visible deterioration and unknown subsurface conditions, a comparable county bridge likely would have been closed and the structure would not meet county acceptance standards as currently built.
Bradley County road department representative Collins told the planning commission that, while he is not a bridge specialist, decades of road experience gave him concern about visible deterioration on the one‑lane bridge proposed to serve an eight‑lot subdivision.
“There's a lot we don't know,” Collins said, noting missing information on the bridge's construction date and embedded materials. He added, “I think if this was one of our county bridges ... I think it would have been closed a while back,” citing rust, deck cracks and other visual deterioration. Collins also told commissioners that TDOT inspects county bridges 20 feet and longer and that those inspections can result in closures when inspectors identify safety risks.
Commissioners asked whether the county would accept the bridge if the developer later sought county maintenance; Collins and other staff said the bridge would not meet county acceptance standards in its current condition. That concern factored into the commission's discussion before it voted to decline the width variance.
