Yearlong bridge closure in Madison Co. irks residents

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — Some Madison County residents said they’re frustrated after dealing with a road closure for the past year.

“It’s a mess. There’s no way around it,” resident Lorene Doyle said.

If you’re driving down George Anderson Road in Madison County, you’ll pull up to a “road closed” sign.

“Some people are just so frustrated they just want to go on through it,” resident Rebecca Curland said.

The orange and white barriers with the sign “road closed” is something residents say they know all too well.

“I want it fixed,” Doyle said.

Madison County Highway Superintendent Bart Walls said the bridge has been closed since July 2017, after an inspection from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

“Bridge basically kind of went out and that it was deemed unsafe, and this was about over a year ago,” Curland said.

TDOT officials found deterioration with wooden timbers underneath the bridge.

“We said we would be patient as long as there was something being done, but there has been no work even started,” Curland said.

While folks continue to wait for change, county officials say construction is set to begin this September.

“We’ve actually had people move off the road that live down there because their kids were going to school in Milan, and it was an extra 45 minutes,” Doyle said.

The highway superintendent said although it’s been an inconvenience, construction will be funded by the state through Gov. Bill Haslam’s Improve Act at no cost to taxpayers.

While the closure is alarming to some residents, they say safety is the No. 1 concern.

“The elderly that lives on this road could be jeopardized in the response time by emergency services,” resident Richard Robinson said.

Highway Superintendent Walls said, weather permitting, they hope to have the bridge back open by the end of the year.