A petíció címzettje:
Washington County officials and the road department.
Get the closed bridge in Telford repaired quickly to restore safe travel and ensure emergency responders can reach people without delay. Our county government should prioritize repair work by allocating funds, speeding up contracting and permitting, and providing regular public updates until the bridge is fixed.
Indoklás:
This bridge is a vital route for everyday travel, emergency services, school transportation, and local businesses. Its closure causes longer response times for ambulances, fire trucks, and police, putting lives at risk. Delays also disrupt residents’ daily routines and economic activities. Action must be taken now because every day the bridge remains closed increases danger and hardship for the community. Quick repairs will restore safety, improve emergency response, and help keep our community connected and thriving.
I invited Mayor Gandy to the Telford Ruritan Club Open House from 2 - 5 P.M. on Saturday the 25th of Oct. There are no guarantees that he will actually be there, but you're all invited as well.
In April 2025, following a TDOT (Tennessee Department of Transportation) inspection of the bridge on Telford Road which crosses Brown Branch (commonly referred to as Telford Bridge), Washington County Highway Department received the Bridge Elevation Report which required ‘the bridge to be closed to all traffic’.
After repeated attempts by Washington County Highway Department to keep Telford Bridge open with reduced load restrictions until design work could be completed, notice was issued by TDOT to the Washington County Highway Department, that Telford Bridge ‘closure shall be complete by April 16, 2025’. Failure to comply would cause Washington County Highway Department to cease receiving State Highway funds.
Engineering services were immediately contracted with Thompson & Litton, one of the local Engineering firms that the Highway Department uses to design projects of this type.
Typical design of a bridge for construction requires 12 to 15 months to complete. In addition to the design work, three (3) separate TDOT approvals are required through the design process which each typically take 7 – 10 weeks after submittal.
Due to the specifics of this project and with regard to the concerns of the Telford Road closure (some of which are outlined in the email by Jeff Banks), this project has had TOP priority, by Washington County Highway Department and TDOT, from day one. While not visible at the site, work was racing along behind the scene to produce an approved design in less than 6 months.
On October 1, 2025, Washington County Highway Department received approval from the State to move forward with the bid process for the project construction. The Highway Department expects to receive proposals later in October with construction of the new bridge to begin shortly thereafter.
We understand the inconvenience, but safety is the top priority for our county roads and bridges. This project is moving faster than expected, twice the normal pace, and the county would like to express their appreciation to the design team and TDOT for accelerating the process of this project to the bid process.
