Bridges Inspected Before and After Floods

Before the rain, before the floods, an all-call page went out to Tennessee bridge inspectors.  It warned them about the massive amount of water headed our way and the damage it might do.  It's called the Tennessee Department of Transportation Bridge Watch program. 

For the second time in less than a week, Tennessee Department of Transportation engineer Chris Smith is back out at a bridge on Ringgold Road.  But it's a much different scene than last Friday.  "Usually you can walk under the bridge on dry land," says Smith.  Before the rain-swollen Spring Creek was over it's banks, engineers got a page telling them which bridges to check before the floods hit.  "We have to look on the program to see which bridges are affected," Smith explains.  "We'll go out and inspect the bridges, then we'll report back to the program that we went out and inspected it and the bridge is ok or we need to take further action."

Inspectors look for signs of damage or erosion along the bed.  Strong currents often pose the most danger.  "The faster the water moves the more particles it can hold," says Smith.    "What it's doing the faster the water's going it's ripping the stream bank off and when the water slows down it will deposit them."  And that means after the water goes down, Smith will be back, because a lot can change after one storm.  "When the water recedes we'll check underneath the bridge, what's called the slopes, and make sure that they're still intact."

Until then, Smith is confident this span is safe.  If not he would close down any bridge before drivers were in danger.  "The bridges are expensive plus the loss of life if people are on the bridge when it failed."

Bridges are required to be inspected at least once every two years and all though these weather inspections are documented, they don't take the place of those.