Chattanooga closes Wilson Road bridge connecting Tennessee to Georgia for structure repair

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Wilson Road bridge has shut down as of Thursday night after a recent state inspection identified structural deficiencies.

The bridge, which connects Georgia and Tennessee, will be fully closed to all traffic and remain that way until repairs are completed that satisfy Tennessee Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration safety requirements.

Errol Williams with the city of Chattanooga says he believes the impact on nearby residents and commuters will be manageable.

“There are multiple routes that they can take, which is funny because a lot of the residents in that area are familiar with those ways of getting to and from. But that plan is in place,” Williams says.

Chattanooga Public Works crews have installed warning signs and barricades and city officials are coordinating detour routes with Walker County.

Northbound Detour Route:

• Turn onto Glentana Street
• Continue onto Maple Street
• Turn left onto Williams Street
• Continue onto Hooker Road northbound to reconnect with your route

Southbound Detour Route:

• Turn onto Workman Road
• Turn onto Rossville Boulevard southbound
• Turn onto McFarland Avenue southbound
• Merge/Continue onto Maple Street
• Continue onto Glentana Street to reconnect with your route

The city says they’re working to identify the scope, funding and project delivery plan needed to address deteriorating structural elements and return the bridge to service.

After a repair plan is created and executed, the bridge will be re-inspected before it reopens.