TDOT talks bridge safety in West Tennessee

JACKSON, Tenn. — Six people were killed and nine others injured after a walkway bridge under construction in Miami collapsed.

“The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s No. 1 priority is safety,” TDOT Assistant Bridge Manager Jennifer Blankenship said.

Blankenship and her team of crews say they are constantly checking the bridges in the area to make sure nothing like that happens in West Tennessee.

“We have about 6,000 bridges in West Tennessee, and they are on a federally mandated 23-month cycle, so we inspect them every 23 months,” Blankenship said.

Blankenship says if there are concerns, her crews will place the bridge on a special list to be rechecked.

“We have some really old bridges, but majority of the bridges are around 40 years old. We have a lot of brand new bridges here lately,” Blankenship said.

Ranging as short as 24 feet all the way to 3,400 feet, the four crews consisting of four to six crew members are on the lookout for everything.

“Any type of defects in the bridges — whether that’s concrete, steel or timber. We look for cracks in the concrete, corrosion in the steel and decay in the timber,” Blankenship said.

A big problem comes from those looking to take a bite out of their work.

“We look for damage from traffic and damage from animals. We have a lot of beaver troubles in West Tennessee,” Blankenship said.

Blankenship says the older bridges are usually the ones for trains.

Blankenship says major flooding can damage bridges, and crews check after major weather events.