Bridge Safety in Tennessee
This video is no longer available.
MADISON COUNTY, Tenn.- In light of the Washington State bridge collapse, drivers across West Tennessee are questioning their safety on the roadway. “Well I think just like everything else. Everything was built during the Eisenhower Era, it’s just all falling apart and we’ve got to do something about it.” said driver Marilyn Greenwood. Stan Reynolds who is the bridge inspection and repair supervisor for West Tennessee told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News that the bridge failure in Washington was a truss structure where the bridge’s main support beams were placed overhead. He said the majority of bridges across West Tennessee are simple support design, where the main support beams are placed underneath the structure. ” We’ve had it hit with such severity that the dump truck turns over but again the bridge wasn’t taken out of service, they are dependable,” said Reynolds. Tennessee Department of Transportation officials said there are more than 6,000 bridges to inspect across West Tennessee. Crews inspect on a daily basis, the current inspection cycle for each bridge is two years. “That includes city bridges, county bridges, state bridges all of the interstate bridges and some are inspected more than that if they need to be,” said Reynolds. TDOT Crews are immediately dispatched to a bridge after damage is reported. Some drivers said they fear the possibility of the damage being left unreported. “I really do think if somebody hits something and they can get away with it they are going to run off,” said Greenwood. Reynolds said all drivers should keep their eyes open to anything that looks out of the ordinary. “I want to encourage the public to call if you do see something because things do happen, it may be an act of nature or may be something that has happened since they’ve checked or inspected it,” said Reynolds. Officials said they believe the simple support design used across West Tennessee is more resilient to accidents. Many of the main support beams located underneath are either placed off onto the shoulder or protected by guard rails. If you see any bridge damage report it to local authorities or call the Tennessee Department of Transportation for inspection.
