One of Chattanooga’s most iconic landmarks has received a makeover. The Walnut Street Bridge, built in 1890 to connect downtown with North Shore, received repairs to its foundation, supporting piers, steel structure and wooden decking.
The $2.7 million project, which started in November 2016, was completed in a little over eight months. In its entirety, repairs made to the walking bridge include:
Timber Laminated Decking Replaced and Treated: 56 Panels
Timber Sidewalk Planks and Curbs Treated: 34 Planks and 778 Linear Feet of Curb
Structural Steel Stringer Repairs: 5
Structural Steel Pack Rust Repairs: 84
Structural Steel Stiffener Repairs: 20
Structural Steel Section Loss Repairs: 13
Structural Steel Corrosion Removal and Repaint Repairs: 7
Structural Steel Weld Repairs: 4
Foundation Repairs: 56
Stone Masonry Joint Repairs: 13,275 Linear Feet
Bridge Deck and Sidewalk Power Washing and Sealing
Portal Repairs
Treated Timber Abutment Repairs
Post-Tensioning Strand Epoxy Coating
Being the first repairs made to the bridge since 2013, keeping disruption to day-to-day activity minimal was a top priority.
Throughout the project, portions of the bridge remained opened, ensuring that walkers, runners, and bikers had constant access to the bridge.
“Our biggest concern was how our work would affect pedestrians who use the bridge everyday,” said Keith Pyle, President of Bell & Associates Construction, “We were able to successfully complete crucial repairs with little to no disruption to the bridge’s day-to-day use.”
The completion comes just in time for some of Chattanooga’s marquee events like Wine Over Water and Head of the Hooch.