Crumbling Riverfront Under Investigation

A multimillion dollar, two and a half year old project is now showing deficiencies. The Chattanooga waterfront, part of a downtown revitalization and a model for other cities, is now needing repairs and other problems persist.

At first glance the Chattanooga Riverfront is attractive. But if you take a closer look you may see small problems that have the potential to get much bigger.

The city recently approved spending eighty thousand dollars to re-level the steps of the Riverfront Terrace, to prevent people from tripping. approved more money for more repairs.

On Tuesday the Chattanooga City Council discussed several problems that have occurred since the Riverfront was remodeled. During that meeting they voted to spend nearly fifty thousand more dollars to fix the steps of the waterfront terrace.

The Riverfront passage is another problem area. It has been damaged by cars going over the bridge and is now closed while they figure out what's causing the damage.

"With any major project there are going to be maintenance issues. Some of these are maintenance other may be considered construction follow up work and that's what the investigation is about," says Director of Chattanooga Parks and Recreation, Kevin Brady.

Brady says this issue comes at an important time, soon this Riverfront will be filled with tourists and the city says they want to make sure everyone is safe.

Chad Gentry is a first time visitor to Chattanooga.. He says maintenance issues are common and aren't major as long as they're fixed.

"Just walking around the city is in great shape. Surely, I would hope that you'd keep doing maintenance and with the upkeep because it's worth it. But my first impression is its beautiful," says Gentry.

The public works department has brought in a consulting firm of engineers to find out what is causing the damage to the passage.

Brady says he doesn't know when the investigation will be over but he hopes to have it finished before tourist season begins.