Months later, McNairy Co. road still closed without repairs
FINGER, Tenn. — Closed for months, the Droke Road bridge has hundreds of drivers taking detours. Residents tell WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News they want to know when the temporary dead end will reopen. The bridge residents say is more than 50 years old is eroded. Alderman Rodney Weaver said the bridge also has rotten wood. “The current bridge in its state is not repairable,” Weaver said. Weaver said the bridge isn’t safe for travel anymore. Despite a road closure sign being posted, several drivers were seen driving over the decaying structure while our news crew was shooting video. “This road is used quite a bit,” former Finger Mayor James Kirkpatrick said. “To have this bridge out, it’s uncalled for,” he said. Weaver said the main reason the bridge is closed is financial. He said the town doesn’t have the extra funds for repairs. “We’re a small community. We have little to no revenue coming in.” Estimated costs to repair the bridge are around $12,000, according to Weaver. Finger residents such as Cheryl Clough said elected officials need to find a way to fork over the money to reopen the road. “Borrow the money. Get a grant, get some kind of a loan and get this open,” she said. Residents said the bridge is surrounded by curves and hills on both sides and that they typically deal with a lot of ice during severe winter weather. “What’s going to happen when it ices and snows and we can’t use the other streets?” Clough said. Kirkpatrick said the solution doesn’t have to be extravagant but just needs to be effective. “They can get a big metal culvert and stick it in here,” he said.”It’d be just as good as the one on Brown Road.” Alderman Weaver said the town is considering all options for repairs. It’s unclear when or if the road will reopen, according to officials.
