TDOT officials said they have dropped the idea of the new, expensive bridge across the Tennessee River in North Hamilton County.
They said fewer people were moving to the vicinity of the planned bridge than expected, and residents were not willing to pay a toll sufficient to cover the cost.
TDOT officials said, "While the original studies performed several years ago indicated that a toll bridge could be successful at this location, more current population forecasting and resident polling affected the project’s financial feasibility. Updated forecasts show the annual growth for population in the area is expected to be less than previous estimates which had a negative impact on the total toll revenue. Additionally, a toll survey of area residents and truckers was performed in 2015 to determine the desire to pay for the new bridge crossing. This study concluded that most people polled agree that a new bridge over the Tennessee River is needed and that they support tolling as a way to fund projects in Tennessee. However, their willingness to pay a large enough toll to make the project economically feasible fell far short.
Therefore, TDOT will discontinue any further work on this particular project."