Repair Work Completed on U.S. Highway 321 Bridge at Fort Loudoun Dam

LENOIR CITY, Tenn. – Repairs to the two-lane bridge on U.S. Highway 321 and  State Route 73 across TVA’s Fort Loudoun Dam are complete, and both lanes of the roadway are open to traffic.

The work to replace the bridge deck was completed Thursday, July 23, which was seven days ahead of the contractor’s projected schedule, and ahead of the August 7 deadline set by TVA to avoid traffic delays when the school year resumes.

The project, which began May 18, required alternating closure of one lane of the two-lane bridge during the course of the project.

“On behalf of TVA, we appreciate everyone’s patience during the repair work, and we apologize for delays that it may have caused for the community and travelers passing through,” said Josh Harper, the TVA project engineer.

Repairs included removing the top portion of the concrete deck of the bridge and replacing it with new concrete, as well as replacing expansion joints20on the bridge.

TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financing.  TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 9 million consumers in seven southeastern states.  TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood control, navigation, water quality and recreation.