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Planning commission denies width variance for one‑lane bridge on Lauderdale Memorial Highway
Summary
The Bradley County Planning Commission voted to deny a width variance for a one‑lane bridge that would serve an 8‑lot subdivision off Lauderdale Memorial Highway after county road staff raised long‑term safety and inspection concerns despite engineers' reports that the bridge met current load limits.
The Bradley County Planning Commission voted to deny a requested width variance for the bridge accessing a proposed 8‑lot subdivision at 938 Lauderdale Memorial Highway.
The petitioners submitted a final plat for an eight‑lot subdivision and requested a variance because the existing bridge has a pavement width of roughly 13 feet 11 inches while the county's private‑road pavement standard is 20 feet and the required right‑of‑way width is 50 feet. The applicant's representative told the commission the engineer’s structural review rated the bridge as “structurally sound and sufficient to safely support loads up to the TDOT legal limit of 80,000 pounds.” The representative also said the subdivision plans include a 20‑foot post drive and a generally 24‑foot wide entrance and that an HOA would assume ownership and maintenance.
Commission members said they appreciated the engineering report but pressed for assurances about long‑term inspections, maintenance and construction‑period loads. “We want to make sure that we're also doing right and protecting the citizens of Bradley County that choose to move up there and live up there,” Commissioner Josh Rogers said, citing visible cracks and deterioration in photographs and asking who would ensure periodic structural inspections after construction.
Bradley County road department representative Collins told the commission that, given what his department can see, he would have closed a comparable county bridge earlier: “I think if this was one of our county bridges ... I think it would have been closed a while back,” he said, citing visible rust, deck cracks and other unknowns below the surface. Commissioners flagged the difference between approving a private‑road variance and accepting responsibility for long‑term public safety.
After discussion the commission entertained a motion to decline the width variance. The motion to decline was seconded and, after a roll‑call, the commission approved the motion to decline the variance, meaning the requested bridge width variance was denied and the final plat cannot proceed on that basis unless the variance or access configuration is revised.
The commission moved on to distribute updated zoning resolutions and scheduled a workshop to review subdivision regulations and zoning language; staff will provide meeting materials online.
